In the Aftermath: Arsenal v Birmingham – Match Review

Arshavin slots home the winner

Let me go on the record by saying – yet again – I hate the international break. Why? As an Arsenal fan it infuriates me that after each break it takes us 45 minutes into a game to get going or we remain sluggish throughout narrowly eeking out a result.

While that wasn’t exactly the script yesterday, the match did feature some moments of pure frustration. From the outset the addition of Walcott on the wing versus Arshavin added another gear to our pace. That showed from the outset as Arsenal were quick on the attack. Inside 5 minutes our pace resulted in a Rosicky shot form the left that narrowly missed to the right of the goal. Rosicky would go on to miss two more times before Arsenal would net. But it clearly showed – game on.

Prior to the meat of the match, Theo Walcott endured a rather heavy tackle from Brum defender Liam Ridgewell. Early in the match, the pacy winger was clearly too much for the Birmingham defence to contain. It’s unclear whether Ridgewell went for the ball or not. Either way Theo endured a long treatment on the sidelines and at the 33rd minute was finally substituted for Andrei Arshavin.

But before Theo’s departure Arsenal made quick work of the visitors. The first goal at the 16th minute really showed the class of a striker growing in stature. Alexander Song with the ball outside the penalty box fakes a shot and send the ball into the box where it looks like Robin Van Persie isn’t going to bel able to get a good shot. But the striker showed his strength, corralled the ball from a awkward pass and shot a beauty through to the far side. With everyone clamoring for RvP to get off the schnide and score, the lad has goals in 4 of the last league matches.

Arsenal weren’t done though as two minutes later, the much maligned Abou Diaby (Yes, I don’t like him either), took a left footed shot from the centre of the field just outside the box and beat Brum ‘keeper Joe Hart. The score was typical Arsenal and almost didn’t happen. Eboue gets a nice feed from Rosicky and takes it to the outside passing back to Rosicky who crosses in the middle where RvP and and Fabregas are moving to. Fabregas misses on his slide in and the ball lands at Diaby’s feet and he has an empty goal to shoot into. 

Up 2-0 inside 18 minutes it surely looked like a mauling was in order. But somewhere on the way to three points the lads resorted to some old form and let off the gas pedal and gave Birmingham a lifeline.  At 38 minutes Lee Bowyer netted a right footed shot from inside the 6 yard box. The lead up the shot isn’t as controversial as our young italian goalie would lead us to believe. With a James McFadden cross coming into the box Diaby headed the ball up backwards. Mannone goes into play the ball and is challenged in the air by a Brum player. Rather than punching the ball Mannone tried to corral it in. But he doesn’t get it and Bowyer is there for the gift which he nets in. In the replay Mannone doesn’t look like he was impeded and frankly would’ve been better off just punching the ball out.

Even though there were spouts of frustration, Arsenal were slowly gaining back the pressure they had for most of the first half.  From the gifted “back pass” (which would’ve really been an injustice had we scored) to a beautifully missed shot by Arshavin, Arsenal still maintained their attack. It was in defending the ball that we need to lock things down. Vermaelen and Gallas were in good form and so was Alexander Song, but Gibbs looked nervous and while Eboue’s pace was welcome he wasn’t great defensively. Diaby played a typical Diaby like effort, playing some good defensive work and then some crappy work. It this inconsistency which is so infuriating about the lad.

Theo gets treatment

For much of the 2nd half you couldn’t blame Arsenal fans if they were thinking that Brum were close to a draw. We weren’t sinking our attempts and Brum seemed to be set for another goal and if not for a reedeming save by Don Vito Mannone they would’ve. It wasn’t until a a good break out from Arsenal and a sweet looking pass from Fabregas to Arshavin that the Gunners were clear with three points. Arshavin’s winner showed why the diminutive Russian is going to be an EPL star. When he received the ball and pushed into the box you knew he was going to score and he dared the Birmingham to come and get him. He was cool and collected as he pretty much strolled into the penalty box and score don the far side. 

Overall, this match had everything to love and hate about Arsenal. Fantastic pace, sublime goals but frustrating defencive lapses that let opponents hang around too long.  But a win is a win and as of this, Arsenal sit in fourth place in the table and maintain a 100% record at home. A loss or draw by Man City against Wigan puts us in fourth with a game in hand to the top three.