Whew!!!! Arsenal let out one giant sigh of relief

In the end, they did it.  After 38 games and a season fraught with ups and downs, the team no one gave a chance after the summer sales of Robin Van Persie and Alex Song, did what they always do qualify for the Champions League. It’s not a trophy but it’s an accomplishment – 16 straight years in the competition is no small feat but it’s not a trophy. We’re not celebrating a trophy. The elation you feel is due to two things – a “succesful” end to this season and beating out Spurs – again for the 18th straight season.

But let’s not kid ourselves, now is when the real work will begin. This squad has shown since January that it has character and that it is likely better than anyone thought. Since the loss to Tottenham (and including that loss) Arsenal have had the best record of any club in the Premier League – not losing once in 10 games. In the last 15 games (Spuds away included) They had a record 11W 3D 1L  – still the best of any club in the Premier League. And that much maligned defense – 2nd best in the league.

Yes, the first half of the season was woeful. Fraught with individual errors that cost the Gunners matches. That was overlaid with approaches to matches that saw the Gunners wildly underestimate their opponents – and pay for it. We should acknowledge that and we should also acknowledge that what we were really doing yesterday was letting out a season’s worth of angst and frustration.

The eternal optimists out there (God bless them) will say they never had doubts. The realists well we know better. The WOBs well they are nowhere to be seen today – that’s okay too. In the end Arsenal have won and earned their right to play in the Champions League.

As for the match, well it was nervy that’s for sure. Newcastle for their part didn’t look like a squad that had lost 8 at home this season, most recently 6-0 to Liverpool. The certainly looked more reminiscent of the squad that finished 5th last season. They contrived to give their home fans a performance to end a season and they went to work with an effective game plan to cut off Arsenal’s threat.

In the last matchup in December, Walcott pretty much had his way with Newcastle and this time they looked hell bent on making sure that wasn’t the case. Almost every time Walcott tried to attack Yanga-Mbiwa down the right side, Gutierrez provided additional support to effectively cut him down. Only when Arsenal had a breakaway did Walcott’s improved form shine culminating with a series of nice moves to nearly put Arsenal up 2-0 if not for a piece of post.

Newcastle also did the same with Santi Cazorla except the creative playmaker usually drew the attention of 3 defenders t crowd him out. Newcastle’s pressure and the added pressure of needed success meant it was never going to be or look easy. But Arsenal simply didn’t look like a team that was going to die without an effort.

That kind of effort was exemplified by a MOTM performance of Laurent Koscielny who not only scored the winning goal (he did the same last year against West Brom) but was a stalwart in defense snuffing out every attack that came his way. He simply was immense and while he not everyone’s cup of tea, he along with Per Mertesacker have become a solid tandem and one of the Premier League’s more consistent CB pairings, as evidenced by the fact that in the final 9 games of the season they managed to only allow 5 goals go in and beyond the Tottenham loss never let more than 1 in a game. Say what you will but they work and in this Premier League they worked quite well.

But now the real work begins. Arsenal have their minimum requirement Champions League. They’ve possibly got the best foundation they’ve had in a long time. There is heart, resilency and focus in this squad. There may not be a world class presence in the core of the team but that can now be viewed as an addition to make.

We’ve heard how Arsenal look to be coming out of their self-imposed financial darkness. New commercial deals along with a boon in Premier League TV rights cash mean that there are no excuses Arsenal look to be flush with cash. Now, no one is arguing for Madrid, City, PSG kind of  splurging.  What we are calling for is real investment this time. If the core is solid as evidenced then the additions need to be smart and not promising young talent. Sure, don’t stop bringing that type in but for the primary purpose of challenging for silverware then the  additions have to be top-knotch quality.

Arsenal supporters are relived today for many reasons and many are willing to forigve if and only if the club’s intentions are honest this time. We’ve got our shiny new home. Our debt is managable, we have profits and new commercial deals – all the things we’ve been told will take us to the next level. Well, now really is the time for the board and the manager to deliver on their promises of years ago when we were sold in on the move to the Emirates.

There can no longer be excuses. If nothing is done to build upon the heorics of this season, then heads will have to roll.

Will I always keep an optimistic view of Arsenal. Not an overly positive one mind you, just optimistic, for the first time in a long while I truly feel as if the club get it. They know two years in a row of narrowly making it has increased the level of acrimony. They have to act. And with Champions League still technically in danger – we still have to play a qualifier – they need to act with some semblance of speed.

As for yesterday it was a good result but it has to be the catapault for bigger and better.

As for now, I’m relieved this season is over. We all need a break.

I leave you today with a couple of gems from yesterday:

1. The Case of the Phantom Goal – during the Tottenham – Sunderland match a rumour spread like wild fire that Newcastle had equalized with Arsenal, in this day and age of videos everywhere, the hype it created at White Hart Line was pure comedy gold. I present it for your enjoyment:

and

2. This moment when former Gunner Alex Song thought Puyol was going to make him the first person to handle Barcelona’s new La Liga trophy: