Arsenal vs. QPR: 5 Things We Learned from Gunners Win

We've seen this all before.

Robin van Persie scored. Gervinho couldn't shoot. Andrei Arshavin stunk.

Arsenal huffed and puffed and created just about enough chances. And the defense, though eventually turning in a good result, teetered and tottered right along the very edge.

Yep, it was almost a perfect recap of Arsenal's 2011, and it all happened in 90 minutes against Queens Park Rangers.

Arsenal ended up beating QPR 1-0 on Saturday, ending the year on a positive note by moving into fourth place. And like I said, the game was pretty much a microcosm of 2011.

The home side played attractive football, passed well and created chances. They missed most of them, but van Persie scored an excellent winner in the 60th minute, taking his tally to 35 league goals in 2011.

But QPR had plenty of chances. Jay Bothroyd (a former Arsenal schoolboy) tested Wojciech Szczesny early on, and Shaun Wright-Phillips (the adopted son of Arsenal legend Ian Wright) nearly gave the visitors a shock lead after a one-on-one chance in the box.

Along the way, Theo Walcott and Gervinho both missed clear chances, Gervinho somehow one-upping the dreadfully wasteful Walcott.

It didn't matter in the end, but in the longer term, it might just be something that hurts Arsenal.

For now, though, it's a win—courtesy of a new Arsenal legend—fit to ring in a new year. Hopefully it's the start of a special 2012.

The Value of Real, Actual Fullbacks

Arsenal won the match, but in truth most of the afternoon served as an exercise in attacking futility.

The Gunners controlled possession in their customary style, stroking the ball around midfield while probing the attacking third for openings.

As has become the case for much of this season, however, Arsenal lacked the cutting edge and killer instinct necessary to break down QPR.

The problem Saturday was Arsenal's lack of width. Nearly every attack came through the middle, and that made QPR's defensive job much easier.

Arsenal deployed two wide midfielders in Theo Walcott and Andrei Arshavin, but neither found much success on the flanks. The reason: Arsenal's lack of true fullbacks.

With Thomas Vermaelen (a center-back by trade) and Johan Djourou (a mediocre player by trade) filling the fullback slots, Arsenal struggled to establish fluidity down the flanks.

It showed farther upfield.

Thierry Henry Could Be Useful

Thierry Henry is set to rejoin Arsenal on loan, and with Robin van Persie expected to sit out Monday's match at Fulham, the legendary Frenchman could be pressed into service immediately.

If so, he might just be of use to Arsenal. On Saturday's evidence, the 34-year-old forward couldn't possibly be any worse at finishing than the jokers Arsenal threw on the pitch.

Okay, so that's a bit harsh—Theo Walcott and Gervinho are both solid professionals. But in fairness, they both stunk out the joint with their finishing Saturday afternoon.

Walcott blew a glorious breakaway chance early in the second half, and Gervinho wasted Robin van Persie's excellent tee-up pass later in the second half.

Both should have scored easily, and Arsenal should have won easily.

Neither happened.

That's what makes me think Henry might actually be of value to Arsenal. Surely his finishing skills haven't eroded that much.

RvP Is a Record Setter

Robin van Persie scores when he wants. And as it turns out, he wants to break records.

With his goal in the 60th minute, Robin van Persie broke Thierry Henry's club record of 34 league goals in one calendar year.

Van Persie thus finishes 2011 with 35 strikes, one short of Alan Shearer's English record.

That's quite an accomplishment, no matter how you spin it.

And no matter how you spin it, Robin van Persie is a world-class player. He's the one player the Gunners truly cannot afford to lose.

The Revival Is Truly on Track

Saturday's win took Arsenal up to fourth place, ahead of both Chelsea and Liverpool with exactly half of the season played.

Considering where Arsenal started the season, that's nothing to sneeze at. Since losing three of their first five league matches, the Gunners have climbed steadily up the Premier League table.

Their record since then: 10 wins, two draws and two defeats. Over the course of an entire season, that's title-contending form.

But while the title—and maybe even third place—is out of reach this year, fourth place is still an important target. By finishing there, Arsenal would earn England's final (lucrative) Champions League spot.

It's Time to Act on Arshavin

Andrei Arshavin assisted Robin van Persie's game-winning goal. But that was just about all the Russian midfielder did for the Arsenal cause.

The rest of the time, Arshavin made consistently poor passes and runs and dribbled too much and too aimlessly.

Perhaps more importantly, he showed his typical unwillingness to track back on defense, exposing Arsenal's defense to overlapping runs from QPR fullback Luke Young.

It would be one thing if Arshavin's performance Saturday was an isolated incident; it has, however, been the rule for him this season.

With the transfer window literally hours away, it's time for Arsene Wenger to decide whether he wants to keep a clearly declining Arshavin around.