Wigan vs. Arsenal: Approach, Defence and Dubious Decisions Cost Gunners Vital Points

Only two days after mounting the wave of euphoria caused by the victory over Chelsea, Arsenal crashed and crumbled against a side threatened by relegation, Wigan.

Three points were crucial to build on the momentum earned by hard work against Chelsea, and memories from their last meeting against the Latics had surely put them on sword.

The last time the two sides met everything just went terribly wrong for the Gunners. Three late goals by Roberto Martinez’s men ensured a shocking comeback from a two-goal deficit.

But if the players who emphatically beat the Blues knew about the hardship of earning points on the DW Stadium, their manager, Arsene Wenger, had a little something different in mind.

Incorrect Approach and Shaky Defence

The limited period of recovery time after an energy-draining encounter might have prompted the French specialist to give most of his first team starters a well-deserved rest. He introduced eight new faces, inevitably transforming the basis of the team that defeated Chelsea.

In the midfield, he decided to pair fallen-out-of-favour Denilson and Abu Diaby, who recently left the physio rooms after a long visit there.

As the match progressed the curious partnership looked to be more a burden than source of stability and inspiration. Countless wrong passes and difficulty winning the ball back in the centre of the park plagued the play of the Gunners in the first twenty minutes of the match.

It was obvious those two were at the wrong place at the wrong time most of the time. The mistake was soon corrected though—more because of luck rather than an epiphany by Wenger.

The lever was switched to ON for Arsenal when youngster Jack Wilshere came in to replace injured Diaby.

The entire team magically shifted into a higher gear. Things started clicking again and the team fought back a one-goal deficit by scoring two of their own in the first half, partly due to yet another Andrei Arshavin temporary surge in performance out of nowhere.

The defensive line also went through some revolutionary innovations for this encounter.

Wenger did not hesitate to utilise the versatility of Emannuel Eboue by putting him on the left side.  But the outcome was unfavourable as Eboue struggled to neutralize the pre-meditated attacks of the Latics. Arsenal looked vulnerable.

In the heart of defence, the responsibility rested on the shoulders of familiar faces from this season—Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny.

Once again the vulnerability of this pairing was continually exposed by a barrage of long balls during the entire duration of the game. On several occasions, the right-back Bakary Sagna had to rush in to clear a ball that had landed behind the backs of the two central defenders, practically at the last possible moment.

The culmination of the defensive fragility came nine minutes from the final whistle when Sebastien Squillaci sent the ball into his own net.

On the other side of the field, an unlikely combination of Maroune Chamakh, Nicklas Bendtner and Andrei Arshavin reaped in moderate success.

What was curious to see was how two players similar in build and style like Chamakh and Bendtner will fit in together. And it worked well, but mainly because of the invigoration in midfield with the bringing in of Jack Wilshere early in the first half and Andrei Arshavin’s flashes of brilliance amidst mediocrity.

Referee Got it Wrong

In what might be considered an easy game, the referee Lee Probert did a below-average job.

First, he awarded Wigan a penalty kick in the 17th minute for a debatable brush of Laurent Koscielny on Charles N’Zogbia inside the penalty box. The replays revealed no or minimal contact at best.

Later, he showed the red card to Wigan’s best player of the match, N’Zogbia, but not before he consulted with his assistant.

And to top it all off, in the final moments of the game he turned a blind eye to an apparent hand ball by a Wigan defender inside the box.

Conclusion

Underestimation cost Arsenal two vital points and a chance to gain on Manchester United, who dropped points the day before. Fortunately for the Gunners, they will have the time to reflect on that draw.

Two points away from the league leaders at the halfway check point, despite the inconsistent performances, hints of Arsenal still being in the title race. Let’s wait and see.