Arsenal Just Didn't Play Well Enough on Wednesday Night

The manager spoke about our defeat against the Spuds on Wednesday night and he said we lacked maturity. Looking at the team that we had out on the pitch on the night, that is a little hard to believe.

Our goalkeeper is supposedly at a goalkeeper's peak age wise and in defense Campbell cannot be accused of lacking maturity. Vermaelen started alongside him and I would consider him to be mature enough as was his replacement when he got injured—Silvestre. Both full backs have been around long enough to show the required maturity on the night which means our defence was certainly mature enough.

In midfield, although Nasri, Denilson, and Diaby have not yet reached their peaks they are by no means setting out at the start of their careers and have all played in big enough games before to suggest that they should have handled Wednesday night properly.

Rosicky most definitely has the maturity needed and Eboue should do too which only leaves Bendtner who has been a full international for years now and has been the main reason that his country have qualified for the World Cup.

So if the lack of maturity wasn't the reason, then what was? I think that the players didn't believe that they could actually win their last five games and with it the league title if Chelsea slipped up.

With Chelsea getting a rather fortunate win against Bolton the night before I think some of the players decided that our chances were gone, and as a result they simply didn't perform at the required level. We may not have had enough leaders on the pitch, too, with Cesc injured and Vermaelen going off. But I thought that Campbell and Clichy did all that could be expected of them in terms of trying to keep the spirit up. 

Too many players had that look on their face as if to say, "it's not going to be our night," and while not going into hiding they didn't show for the ball often enough, pass it as quickly as usual, and keep the tempo of the team going.

Without the whole team playing as a unit we needed a spark of brilliance from an individual such as Cesc or Arshavin can give us when they're playing but we didn't have that until RVP entered the arena. The difference he made from his very first touch was unbelievable.

If memory serves me correctly that touch was a back flick and turn to beat his man, but we lacked a player with the ability to do that until RVP came on. When he came on and started to show what we had been missing for the last five months it lifted the whole team and I genuinely thought we might actually get a draw out of the game.

We got our customary goal in the last 10 minutes but after that it didn't really look like we would equalise. I know we needed a win but at least a draw would have salvaged the players and the fans pride and kept our unbeaten run against the Spuds intact.

It would also have kept the door just the tiniest bit ajar if Chelsea were to lose to the Spuds on Saturday evening but it will be interesting to see how well the Spuds raise their game again for that considering that they need the win. If things go their way earlier in the day a win could mean they move back to fourth place with four games to go as the race for fourth place really hots up.

Speaking yesterday, RVP said that Gomes made some crazy saves against us and while he did make three top-class saves, I don't think they were crazy. Certainly he's a keeper who has had his critics in the past but such is the goalkeeping situation at Arsenal at the moment that I would have him in our team before any of the other current candidates (Szczesny gets a pass because of his age).

With a trip to Wigan coming up on Sunday it would appear that the injury situation has gotten even worse as Vermaelen will be out for two to three weeks and Denilson is also doubtful. Vermaelen is certainly a big loss as Campbell finds it hard to play two games in four days and silvestre is just a liability.

Surely we can recall Bartley from his loan spell at Sheffield United as we have so many central defenders out injured. Failing that, I would suggest Sagna at centre back with Eboue playing at right back if it meant Silvestre didn't play.

I'm sure we can all recall the occasion in injury time against the Spuds when Silvestre tried to bring the ball out from the back, got confused and kicked straight to a Spud player only five yards away. To say he is past his best is an insult to Campbell who is past his best but can still offer something. There is no need for ninities any more as he will be gone in the Summer so the boss should just leave him out of the squad.

Apparently Wigan's pitch is now in perfect condition after resembling a ploughed field earlier in the season, which should at least make it a little easier to play on Sunday. It's a game that could see us go back into second place if Man City can do us a favour in the Manchester derby early on Saturday and I think that they have to be favourites even if Rooney is playing in my opinion.

They may have had a huge amount of money given to them but they have still come a long way to be considered favourites against their fiercest rivals in any game. It will be interesting to see how and if both clubs strengthen in the summer.

Our captain and star player has been nominated for both the PFA player of the year and PFA young player of the year awards, but with Rooney also nominated for both it would look to be a foregone conclusion even though I think Cesc is more deserving of both awards.

Incidentally, does anyone know what the maximum age for the young player award is? I think it should be under 23, but it most certainly isn't. Speaking of Cesc, it would seem Barcelona have denied telling our chairman that they have no intention of making a bid for Cesc in the summer and quite why he said that they told him they wouldn't make that bid I don't know.

If it were true, Barcelona wouldn't want their fans to know it or other teams whose players they might be bidding for either. And if it wasn't, then why would he make it up?

Jack Wilshere has said he wouldn't mind staying on loan at Bolton next season if he isn't going to be in the manager's plans at Arsenal and I can't blame him for that.

I would imagine that he sees himself possibly having a chance in the wide positions of our front three but it can't be easy for him to see some other players playing in those positions at the moment when he thinks he might do a better job. I hope he comes back into the manager's plans for next season as he has a lot to offer in  my opinion.

Finally for today our ladies beat Millwall 5-1 last night to move within one point of league leaders Leeds with two games in hand. They are also five points clear of Everton and Everton have played a game more so it would look like the league is theirs to lose at this stage.

With a FA Cup final against Everton to come as well they might just be celebrating yet another double by the end of the season although the eight league games they have left will push them very hard in terms of fitness. That's it until tomorrow. 

Here's the highlights from our 4-0 home win over Wigan earlier this season.

See you tomorrow.