Arsenal vs. AC Milan: Gunners' New Sense of Urgency Proves Too Little, Too Late

What else can be said about Arsenal's performance against AC Milan in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tilt other than that it was, well, perfectly and microcosmically Arsenal.

There were highs and lows, ebbs and flows, amidst a spirited effort by club and supporters alike in what was nearly an historic evening at the Emirates Stadium.

There was the header by Laurent Koscielny in the seventh minute.

There was the finish by Tomas Rosicky on a poor pass out from the Rossoneri defence in the 26th minute.

There was the brilliant run up the right side by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain that resulted in the penalty kick for Robin van Persie in the 43rd minute.

There were the bullets dodged by the Gunners' back line, the strike by Stephan El-Shaarawy that went wide to close out the first half, and the opportunities squandered by Antonio Nocherino and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the second half.

Just as there were for the Gunners, though their failure to convert proved to be much more damning.

For all of the first-half fury, Arsenal should've gone into the dressing room with more than three goals.

Rosicky and Theo Walcott failed to turn a two-man tango into a score before the second goal, while RVP was victimized by yet another brilliant diving deflection on the part of Christian Abbiati in the net.

And that's to say nothing of chances left on the table in the final frame, particularly Abbiati's double save from Gervinho and van Persie in the 58th minute.

Or the handful of other runs from Gervinho and Walcott that ultimately came to nought, with both succumbing to their most predictable tendencies.

The former and his penchant for overdribbling; the latter and his turns inside that made Thiago Silva and Ignazio Abate look like the chosen disciples of Nostradamus.

No 4-0 deficit is ever "easy" to overcome, but if ever it was to happen in the Champions League, it would've been Arsenal's for the taking.

So many factors fell firmly in the Gunners' favor, between the rabid support in North London; the lackadaisical approach of the Rossoneri toward protecting their four-goal cushion; the absences of Kevin-Prince Boateng, Alexandre Pato, Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Nesta, Massimo Ambrosini and Clarence Seedorf; and the no-show by Ibra.

But to suggest that Arsenal should have made up the entirety of the four-goal difference, even with the fates seeming to conspire in their favor, would be nearly as disingenuous.

Another early exit from Europe will hardly help legions of Gooners drift into peaceful slumber, but the fact that Arsenal came so close to scaling a seemingly unassailable mountain in the Champions League—against an Italian side that is a serious threat to win the entire tournament—is something worth savoring.

Not that a worldwide powerhouse as popular and successful as Arsenal should be happy to settle for moral victories.

However, in this most trying of seasons—in which the once-untouchable Arsene Wenger has come under fire for his club's failings amidst injuries and defections—a valiant 3-0 effort should qualify as something for the Gunners to hang their hats on.

Now, with the cup competitions moving on without them and Manchester United and Manchester City having sewn up the English Premier League title, the Gunners must set their sights on a strong finish to the domestic campaign and the return to continental competition that would accompany it.

The Gunners have fourth place in the league table all too themselves at the moment and are gaining quickly on North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

What's more, Arsenal are on a strong run of form of late, with victories over Liverpool and Spurs preceding Tuesday's near triumph over Milan.

Three goals may have been too little to propel Arsenal to the quarterfinal round of the Champions League, but it's not too late for Wenger's side to salvage their season.

The focus at the Emirates turns to the last 11 fixtures of the EPL campaign, among them a date with table-toppers Man City and a disheveled Chelsea. 

A strong performance from here on out, boosted by the expected return to fitness of Jack Wilshere, will ensure that the Gunners' return to the Champions League for a 15th consecutive time under Le Professeur's auspices.

And, rather than detonate as they did last summer, they will continue to build toward filling their hallowed halls with trophies and titles rather than false hopes and dashed dreams.

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