Is it the end of an era for Arsenal?

Photograph from Flickr

Seven-and-a-half years ago Arsenal defeated Manchester United in a penalty shoot-out to win their fifth trophy in five years. The year before they had gone a whole Premier League season unbeaten and boasted a host of top players such as Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Sol Campbell and Patrick Vieira.

Now their best player is undoubtedly a raw young talent in the form of Jack Wilshere, but with the side in disarray it is unlikely it will be long before he follows Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri out of The Emirates. 

Although their last 16 Champions League tie with Bayern Munich is far from over, it is almost impossible to see Arsenal winning either 4-2 or by three goals in the Allianz Arena. Bayern are even stronger than when they reached the final last season and haven't lost since it was confirmed that Pep Guardiola would be taking over in the summer. 

It is not as though the Gunners have been a poor side since they won the FA Cup in 2005. In that time they have not finished outside the top four of the Premier League and have reached the League Cup final twice, losing 2-1 to Chelsea in 2007 and 2-1 to Birmingham City in 2011. 

Despite those efforts, their best achievement was reaching the Champions League final in 2006 when they went down 2-1 to Barcelona after having goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sent off. They could count themselves quite unlucky in that match and probably expected many more European finals to follow over the coming years, although those hopes have not materialized. It will be a shock to many that Arsenal have never won the Champions League under Arsene Wenger, in fact they have not been crowned champions of Europe in their history. 

Even though that sounds like a poor record for a club of their size, they are the only British team to have reached the last 16/second group stage every year this century. 

Arsenal in the Champions League under Arsene Wenger
Group stage	2
Last 16/Second group stage	6
Quarter-finals	4
Semi-finals	1
Final	1

Since the first two times that they played with Europe's elite under Wenger, when they were knocked out in the group stages both times, Arsenal have since sealed their place as one of the continent's best, although they are desperate to be crowned champions. 

At this rate even being in the Champions League next year will take a huge effort in itself. This season has been another disappointing one for the North London club so far. They sit in fifth place in the Premier League table, four points behind rivals Tottenham Hotspur who occupy the final Champions League spot. After this latest defeat, coupled with their shock FA Cup loss to Championship side Blackburn, and their season looks destined to be another fruitless one. 

For a couple of years now there have been sections of Arsenal's over-paying fans that believe Wenger's time has passed. Fail to seal Champions League qualification at the end of the season and the board might lose patience and agree with them.

However Wenger has been one of the club's greatest ever managers, in the last 17 seasons he has provided three Premier League titles and four FA Cups and countless near misses. What he has also managed is to transform Arsenal from an inconsistent side to a side that always challenges in the higher echelons of the table.

He has also not been backed tremendously by the board in recent years. The signings of Santi Cazorla, Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski were big buys, but not bank-breakers by any stretch of the imagination and were never going to win Arsenal the Premier League or Champions League. So who can blame him for trusting in youth? It is all he can really do.

The defence is clearly shaky, but that is as much down to the players' concentration as it is the manager's organisational skills. Despite his unbelievable record though, it would not be surprising in the modern day football cut and thrust culture, if Wenger was shown the door if the Gunners finish outside the top four. 

Whatever happens, Arsenal supporters appear to be witnessing their club fall in a similar, although not as dramatic, way to how Liverpool, Champions League regulars not so long ago, fell from Premier League favourites in 2009 to eighth place last year. 

Although Wenger's men seem to only be suffering a slight slide at the moment, it appears that the slide will become a full-on crash in the near future.

Arteta miss costs Arsenal while Everton hold on to fourth

An missed penalty in the fifth minute of injury-time by Mikel Arteta cost Arsenal all three points at the Emirates in an entertaining 3-3 draw with Fulham. 

Veteran Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer saved low to his left to deny Arteta to extend the Cottagers' unbeaten run in the Premier League to five matches.

The miss continued Arsenal's poor form from the spot as this was their 5th miss from their last 10 penalties, the joint-highest in the Premier League.

The Gunners remain one place above Fulham on goal difference in seventh, although Martin Jol's men will be much happier with their league standing than the side from North London. 

Olivier Giroud answered his critics when he headed in the opening goal, and when Lukas Podolski stabbed the home team two in front, it looked like there would be no way back for Fulham. 

However former Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov ignited his side into action with a header of his own to bring the scoreline back to 2-1 with just 29 minutes gone. The Bulgarian then set up Alex Kacaniklic to equalise five minutes before half-time. 

Berbatov then converted a penalty to grab his fifth goal in just seven Premier League games this season, before Giroud responded with his second, a header from a Theo Walcott cross. 

There was more drama to come, when in the 94th minute Sascher Riether conceded what looked to be a harsh penalty for hand-ball. The spot-kick came to nothing though as Schwarzer saved and referee Phil Dowd immediately brought an end to proceedings. 

At Goodison Park Everton came from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1 thanks to goals from Maroune Fellaini and Nikica Jelavic, their sixth and fifth league goals of the season respectively. 

Toffees boss David Moyes (after what was his 400th match in charge) admitted: "I thought it was going to be one of those days. It didn't look as if it was coming, I thought it looked like a 1-0 to Sunderland - but that was not for us not trying to keep knocking at the door.

"I thought we kept going and the players showed great character to come from a goal behind."

Steve Clarke's West Brom got their first league win of the season away from home as they beat Wigan 2-1 at the DW Stadium: http://asportinginsight.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/wigan-1-2-west-brom.html

James Morrison gave the Baggies the lead before Gary Caldwell found his own net. Despite an Arouna Kone goal the away team were well worth the three points that kept them level on points with fourth-placed Everton. 

Manchester United increased their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points after coming from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 at Villa Park.

Javier Hernandez scored two and made another as United completed their eighth winning come-back of the season: http://asportinginsight.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/uniteds-spirit-shows-no-signs-of.html

The young Mexican has now scored every 51 minutes he has played in the Premier League this season.

Struggling Southampton could not keep a first clean-sheet of the season as Nathan Dyer scored a 73rd minute equaliser to give Swansea a 1-1 draw after Schneiderlin had given the Saints the lead.

The young Saints team played well despite averaging only 23 years and 326 days old and under-fire manager Nigel Adkins said: "We're together as one. Everyone is having a right go, the performance was good. Listen, take the positives. We got a point. We wanted the three and a clean sheet but let's take the positives."

Premier League bottom club Queens Park Rangers remain without a win after losing 1-0 at Stoke courtesy of a Charlie Adam goal, his first Premier League striker in thirteen months. The Hoops missed several second half chances and have now trailed for more minutes than any other team (463) this season.

It also looks ominous for Hughes's men as they have extended their run without a win to 11 matches.

In the day's other top-flight match Reading also failed to chalk up their first victory as they played out a 0-0 stale-mate with Norwich.

Statistics courtesy of Infostrada Sports: http://infostradalive.com/

Arsenal Grab Important Win At Upton Park Thanks To Cameo From Theo Walcott

Arsenal came from behind to beat West Ham 3-1 at Upton Park in a feisty London derby. A cameo substitute appearance from unsettled winger Theo Walcott turned the game in the Gunners's favour as he claimed a goal and an assist. The win lifts Arsenal to fifth in the Premier League table, just two points behind fourth-placed West Brom.

Arsenal started the match on the front foot and carved out the first meaningful chance in the sixth minute when Santi Cazorla found space on the edge of the box but saw his right-footed drive deflected behind for a corner.

It was only 15 minutes later when Mohamed Diame gave the Hammers the lead with a magnificent curling strike after nut-megging Aaron Ramsey to score from the tightest of angles and send the bubble-blowing contingent of Upton Park into raptures. He was then booked for an over-exuberant celebration. West Ham then found themselves in the driving seat, but could not convert a flurry of well-placed set-pieces into clear-cut opportunities.

Shortly before half-time came the moment that all Arsenal fans have been waiting for since the start of the season. Olivier Giroud scored his first goal for Arsenal since his big money summer transfer from Montpellier after sliding in to meet a low Lukas Podolski cross at the near post.

West Ham were surprisingly the team that put Arsenal under pressure at the start of the second half with a flurry of corners before Andy Carroll appeared to miss a great chance in the 54th minute after Nolan had seen his effort blocked, but  the former Bolton midfielder had already been flagged offside.

The home side came out at the start of the second half by far the stronger and immediately piled the pressure on the Gunners. Their first decent effort of the second 45 was when a long throw from Demel was flicked on by Carroll, only for club record signing Matt Jarvis to smash his shot into the stands.

Arsenal hit the Hammers on the counter-attack in the 65th minute, just minutes after Wenger had introduced Walcott and the substitute accidentally blocked a Cazorla shot. But he back-heeled the ball to Giroud who did well to get a shot away on the slide from a tight angle, only for his effort to find the side-netting.

In his first start since his home debut against Fulham Andy Carroll missed a glorious opportunity to give the home side the lead. He leaped above Vito Mannone, and with the goal gaping, drifted his header wide of the far post. Kevin Nolan was the next West Ham man to spurn a great chance when, after getting in behind the Arsenal defence, tried to cut inside and lost the ball when he should have shot.

Those missed chances seemed to push Arsenal into action and they were screaming for a penalty when Aaron Ramsey went down on the edge of the area, but Phil Dowd waved away the appeals. 

After Lukas Podolski had seen a low drive stopped by Jussi Jaaskelainen, Olivier Giroud sprung Walcott clear with an inch-perfect through-ball which the England winger duly converted as he slotted low to give Arsenal a precious lead with just 13 minutes remaining.

Sam Allardyce's team had a great chance to respond quickly, as less than two minutes after Walcott's strike the ball fell to Nolan, but he again wasted the chance and shot high over the cross-bar. 

The game was basically over in the 83rd minute as Walcott cut inside and laid the ball off to Santi Cazorla who thumped in a stunning strike into the far top corner to give the Gunners a two-goal cushion going into the final minutes. 

Giroud missed one last one-on-one in stoppage time, but it didn't matter as Arsenal comfortably held on to seal a crucial three points.

Berbatov Linked With Fulham After Dembele Joins Spurs

A busy day in the  the capital city saw Mousa Dembele complete his move from Fulham to Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee while Theo Walcott looks set to stay at The Emirates, but will not sign a new contract. Walcott refused to sign a five-year contract at £75,000 a week and it looks as though Arsene Wenger will take the chance that he might have to let him go for free. Dembele will strengthen Spurs's midfield after an impressive two seasons with Fulham. He did not score as many goals as he would have liked, however he did create plenty of chances and is a very talented player, showed by his tally of 40 caps and five goals for Belgium.

Fulham are rumoured to be in negotiations with Manchester United over a deal to bring striker Dimitar Berbatov to Craven Cottage. This would be a great signing for Martin Jol in a move that could open the door for Clint Dempsey to join Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool. Also in West London Queen's Park Rangers brought in Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar from Inter Milan in a shock move that was a real statement of intent by manager Mark Hughes. This could prove to be a great signing after Robert Green has faltered in the Rs' opening two league matches. Hughes was understandably delighted with the signing: "When you get an opportunity to possibly bring a player of Julio Cesar's quality, with his playing record and his mentality then I think you have to pursue it."

Walcott has been linked with moves to Liverpool and Manchester City over the last couple of days but Wenger appears reluctant to let him go. Walcott has had a decent couple of years with 24 goals and 22 assists in 84 games in all competitions. However he has the tendency to drift in and out of games and only created one clear-cut chance every 91 minutes last year. After already losing talismanic striker Robin Van Persie and midfielder Alexandre Song, Arsenal are desperate to hold onto the winger. They do have other options on the flanks in the form of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gervinho and Lukas Podolski, but Walcott's pace is important to their style of play. Manchester City are reported to still be interested but it appears unlikely that the England man will be leaving the Emirates in this transfer window.

Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas will be very happy to add Dembele to his ranks at White Hart Lane after the recent £30 million departure of Luka Modric to Real Madrid. He will be looking towards the Belgian and fellow summer signing Gylfi Sigurdsson to produce the midfield magic needed to propel Tottenham into the top four. A Fulham statement said: "Following two full seasons at Craven Cottage, the club would like to thank Mousa for his contribution and wish him well throughout the rest of his career." Dembele tweeted that he was 'happy to confirm [he] signed a new contract with Tottenham FC.'