Arsenal vs. Birmingham City: Five Things We Learned From the Disappointing Loss
The wait continues.
Arsenal’s quest for a title to end their six year wait will go on after they lost to Birmingham City 2-1 thanks to a defensive mix-up from Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny.
Arsenal were missing Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott and due to the absence of their captain, van Persie was handed the captain’s armband for the game.
Birmingham took the lead thanks to a Zigic header but Arsenal equalized thanks to van Persie after some good work from Andrei Arshavin. Then Martins stunned the Arsenal fans with an 89th minute goal after a defensive howler.
Arsenal got off to a slow start but dominated the second half. Despite all their pressure they failed to break down the Birmingham defense and a resolute Ben Foster. This is the third final they have lost in the last six years.
For Arsenal it is pivotal that they bounce back from this disappointment as soon as possible before they jeopardize their entire season.
But in the end Birmingham got nothing less than they deserved. Throughout the tournament and especially in the final they displayed fighting spirit and put up a valiant performance.
Here is a look at five conclusions that can be drawn from the Carling Cup final:
Arsenal Did Not Lose Because of Their Mentality
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Following Arsenal’s lose several critics have come out and questioned Arsenal’s mentality. But that is an absurd statement, especially in this case.
The goal Arsenal conceded was a freak goal, an incident that has nothing to do with mentality. Arsenal didn’t crumble under pressure. It was a lack of communication that led to a mix up between Koscielny and Szczesny. Nine times out of ten that wouldn’t have happened.
To say that Arsenal lack the mentality is an absolutely ridiculous statement considering the fact that they have displayed character and the determination to win several times this season. They have won matches against teams like Barcelona, Chelsea. Several times this season they have put up great performances, have rallied back from difficult situations and have won matches from improbable situations.
Let’s not forget that Birmingham are a good team and that teams like Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City have struggled.
Arsenal defender resolutely for most parts of the game and did a good job of withstanding Birmingham’s aerial bombardment. Koscielny and Djourou were solid till the ending.
Arsenal coped well despite the absence of Fabregas and Walcott. Even after van Persie’s substitution they attacked with vigor.
Arsenal lost the game because of a lapse of concentration for one moment and not because they lack a winning mentality.
Tomas Rosicky Should Start as Rarely as Possible
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Tomas Rosicky got off to a good start this season and put in a few good performances. But over the past few months he has put in insipid, uninspiring performances. His performance on Sunday was no different.
He came in place of the injured Cesc Fabregas. He did nothing to justify his inclusion and often dropped too deep. Rosicky did not offer much going forward and often threw away great opportunities. He missed a great chance when he tried to go for a smart back heel. His passing was often haywire and he lacked the creativity on and off the ball.
His passing was too heavy and he often gave away the ball with a poor pass and did not create many opportunities.
I am still not sure why Wenger chooses to start him especially on big occasions. Very often Wenger has started him and the Gunners have struggled. It may be good to keep him at Arsenal because he is experienced and can be a good back up at times. But when Wenger had other options at his disposal he should look to utilize him only in cup clashes and not in crunch clashes like this.
Nicklas Bendtner Would Have Been Much More Effective Than Rosicky
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Like mentioned in the previous slide, Tomas Rosicky struggled. Nicklas Bendtner came on for van Persie in the 68th minute and put in a good display as he created opportunities and held up the ball well.
Arsene Wenger has started using Bendtner has a winger this season on certain occasions and it has reaped good rewards at times. Bendtner scored a beauty against Ipswich and then produced a good assist for van Persie against Leeds United.
Arsene Wenger should have looked to start Bendtner on Sunday. Bendtner might have scored only six goals this season but it may be because Wenger does not start Bendtner too often. Five of Bendtner’s six goals have come when he has started.
On Sunday, Bendtner put in a good display and showed glimpses of what he can do when he plays. He produced a fine save from Ben Foster, his link up play was good and he held off the ball well.
Had Bendtner started he would probably have had more of an impact than the ineffective Tomas Rosicky.
Samir Nasri Should Start in Central Midfield in the Absence of Cesc Fabregas
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Tomas Rosicky was drafted in place of the injured Cesc Fabregas. Surprisingly however he played in the central role and Samir Nasri moved to the wings. Many expected Nasri to play in a central role during the absence of Fabregas which is his preferred position.
During the early parts of the season, Nasri had played in the central midfield position when Fabregas was injured. He was extremely successful and scored plenty of goals. Nasri’s preferred position is in central midfield but the presence of Fabregas forces him to move into the wings.
On Sunday Nasri put in a good performance but didn’t match the high standards we have come to expect of him this season. Nasri has shown that he is an extremely creative player with an eye for goal. Playing him on the wings limits his performance and fails to bring out the best in him.
Playing Nasri in the centre of the midfield would have brought out the best from the Frenchman and would have let Arsenal dominate possession in a more clinical fashion.
Alex Song Looks Fatigued and Deserves a Break
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In the last two years, Alex Song has been an absolute revelation for the Gunners. He has proven to be an absolute beast and has made the defensive midfielder position his own. Ever since Patrick Vieira’s departure Arsenal have lacked a proper defensive midfielder. Alex Song seemed to be the answer to that problem.
The injury to the highly talented Emmanuel Frimpong meant that Arsenal lacked a replacement for Alex Song. This along with the recent injury to Abou Diaby combined with the inefficiency of Denilson meant that Arsene Wenger has had to use Song more often than he would have liked. Song has played in most of Arsenal’s recent fixtures including the clash against Leyton Orient most of the other first team starters got a break. Also Song is just back from an injury he picked up in the game against Everton.
All this has meant that Song looked extremely fatigued and was poor on the ball. He did put in a few good tackles but very often he was beaten by the Birmingham players and failed to protect his defense. His passing was often sloppy and he gave away possession in important positions.
With several key clashes coming up Arsenal require a fit and firing Alex Song and will struggle in his absence.
Wenger should look to rest him for the midweek clash with Orient and keep him hale and healthy for the clashes against Barcelona and Sunderland.
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