If Barcelona's 5-0 hammering of Real Madrid is anything to go by in footballing prowess, surely West Ham United's 4-0 whitewash of Manchester United cannot be. At best, it is a fluke, but frankly who cares.
West Ham anchor the Braclays Premier League, the position they have guarded jealously for a while now. Their Carling Cup victory over the team at the other end of the table is likely to boost their confidence in the coming matches. They always played well but failed to get the results.
Manchester had always managed to get results without playing a thing. It could be time they started to earn their points and place in the top of the league. Last weekend's 7-1 win over Blackburn Rovers showed their good side but was largely due to lack of interest from Rovers. West Ham were in a less charitable mood. For United fans, the least said about it the better and I will not speak.
Arsenal are still in familiar territory in the Cup. It is still to be seen if they will be reaching their dreaded area of supremacy for once. Their 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic came from a gifted goal and Nicklus Bendtner. Arsene Wenger's side has all the ingredients they need to win this one and for me, this won't mean a thing about their ability. It is well well overdue and at this point, the Gunners should have been too tired to win this Cup or even the FA Cup. They are a teams that should be gunning for the UEFA Champions League final.
Talking of the Champions League, UEFA slapped Jose Mourinho with a heavy fine of EUR40, 000 and ban, to add salt to the 5-0 defeat to Barca at the weekend. Real was fined EUR120,000 while players Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas and Jerzy Dudek were fined around EUR17,000. This followed what they called instructions to have players be suspended for the final group stage matches so they could be available for the more important knock-out stage.
UEFA are over the top with this one. They must never involve themselves with such issues at all. All the bans and fines combined should have been handed to Ajax Amsterdam for failing to give Real Madrid enough opposition. Even other teams in the group are liable for what happened. Basically, teams that qualify early will also field weaker teams to rest their best players. Those teams do not get punished. If the same justice applies to all teams, assuming they are all equal, the scenario must never be allowed to prevail. Teams must be forced to field their best teams always.
If that is not the case, Real were free to do as they please because Ajax did not give them reason to play with 11 men and these players were wasting their own time playing a team that was not interested in offering opposition to Real. For Ramos and Xavi to be available when they are needed most, Jose knew what was available to him and he used it. The noise, bans and fines are just too hypocritical. That is nonsense.
Showing posts with label West Ham United. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West Ham United. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Arsenal Well Beat By West Brom Albion 2-3 Due To Very Bad Defending.
[caption id="attachment_2119" align="alignleft" width="377" caption="Pic by Eurosport."]
[/caption]
Arsenal hosted West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates in London for the English Premier League encounter. Arsenal struck the post twice in one second with just 10 minutes played. While they played with purpose, they could not find their trademark rhythm at all in the opening half of the match. Nigerian Odemwingie had an above average match, being involved in most of West Brom attacks.
The Gunners looked too anxious to get an early goal, which appeared further and further with each desperate attempt. At the back, they defended further away from each, inviting West Brom to have a go at them, resulting in the visitors striking the post and then eventually getting a penalty. Emmanuel Alimuna endeared himself with the fans as he saved the spot-kick.
Arsenal allowed West Brom too much space, making them see a lot of the ball and inviting them to penetrate through the centre and wings. Odemwingie tapped in a cross from left after a quick exchange of passes in the 50th minute. A minute later Jara embarrassed Alimuna at the near post when he finished off a solo effort. The goal was a result of vast distances of cover in defence.
The defensive behaviour in midfield was never up to scratch either, as it became either too large or too short, resulting in 2 or 3 defenders being beaten by the same ball or dribble. A double substitution by Arsene Wenger upped the stakes for the Gunners. Tomas Rosiscky replaced Abu Diaby and Jack Wilshire replaced Emmanuel Eboue. The resultant efforts saw Samir Nasri being crudely brought down in the box but the referee wanted to see his head on a platter before he could give a penalty.
Arsenal started to be very generous with the ball, cheaply giving away possession under no pressure at all. West Brom, smelling blood, pushed forward at pace looking for more opportunities. Alex Song took a more offensive attitude and twice came close to pulling a goal back. Carlos Vela replaced Kosienly in the 65th minute, and injected more life into the Arsenal offensive.
A big concern for Wenger is the fact that whenever the West Brom attack was slow, the recovery speed was slow and the man under pressure had cover that was 20 metres away and during counter attacks, the next support would be within one metre. Jerome Thomas punished Alimuna's indecision in the 72nd minute as he failed to go down for a low ball across the 6 yard box.
Nasri however, showed a lot of maturity when he beat several defenders to stab the ball home 2 minutes later. Last minute efforts to save face by the hosts proved futile as the West Brom defence stood firm with good cover and support for each other at every occasion. With 5 minutes of injury time to play, Arshavin played Nasri a cool pass for the 2nd Arsenal goal. The goal made the Gunners stronger and kept fans on the edge of their seats. Arsenal were never to come back.
Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard scored as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Sunderland, in a match in which Darren Bent scored twice, one of them a penalty. Piquionne scored 29th minute goal as West Ham beat Tottenham Hotspur. Modric made a successful comeback and was denied by the post. Huddleston failed to tap into an empty net after beating the keeper. Fulham and Everton drew 0 - 0, as did Birmingham and Wigan Athletic. Blackpool's Adam scored an own goal to hand Blackburn a 1 - 0 win.
Both Arsenal and Spurs will give an excuse of this week's Carling Cup encounters as well as next week's Champions League fixtures. Is it valid, or just what it is, an excuse?
[/caption]Arsenal hosted West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates in London for the English Premier League encounter. Arsenal struck the post twice in one second with just 10 minutes played. While they played with purpose, they could not find their trademark rhythm at all in the opening half of the match. Nigerian Odemwingie had an above average match, being involved in most of West Brom attacks.
The Gunners looked too anxious to get an early goal, which appeared further and further with each desperate attempt. At the back, they defended further away from each, inviting West Brom to have a go at them, resulting in the visitors striking the post and then eventually getting a penalty. Emmanuel Alimuna endeared himself with the fans as he saved the spot-kick.
Arsenal allowed West Brom too much space, making them see a lot of the ball and inviting them to penetrate through the centre and wings. Odemwingie tapped in a cross from left after a quick exchange of passes in the 50th minute. A minute later Jara embarrassed Alimuna at the near post when he finished off a solo effort. The goal was a result of vast distances of cover in defence.
The defensive behaviour in midfield was never up to scratch either, as it became either too large or too short, resulting in 2 or 3 defenders being beaten by the same ball or dribble. A double substitution by Arsene Wenger upped the stakes for the Gunners. Tomas Rosiscky replaced Abu Diaby and Jack Wilshire replaced Emmanuel Eboue. The resultant efforts saw Samir Nasri being crudely brought down in the box but the referee wanted to see his head on a platter before he could give a penalty.
Arsenal started to be very generous with the ball, cheaply giving away possession under no pressure at all. West Brom, smelling blood, pushed forward at pace looking for more opportunities. Alex Song took a more offensive attitude and twice came close to pulling a goal back. Carlos Vela replaced Kosienly in the 65th minute, and injected more life into the Arsenal offensive.
A big concern for Wenger is the fact that whenever the West Brom attack was slow, the recovery speed was slow and the man under pressure had cover that was 20 metres away and during counter attacks, the next support would be within one metre. Jerome Thomas punished Alimuna's indecision in the 72nd minute as he failed to go down for a low ball across the 6 yard box.
Nasri however, showed a lot of maturity when he beat several defenders to stab the ball home 2 minutes later. Last minute efforts to save face by the hosts proved futile as the West Brom defence stood firm with good cover and support for each other at every occasion. With 5 minutes of injury time to play, Arshavin played Nasri a cool pass for the 2nd Arsenal goal. The goal made the Gunners stronger and kept fans on the edge of their seats. Arsenal were never to come back.
Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard scored as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Sunderland, in a match in which Darren Bent scored twice, one of them a penalty. Piquionne scored 29th minute goal as West Ham beat Tottenham Hotspur. Modric made a successful comeback and was denied by the post. Huddleston failed to tap into an empty net after beating the keeper. Fulham and Everton drew 0 - 0, as did Birmingham and Wigan Athletic. Blackpool's Adam scored an own goal to hand Blackburn a 1 - 0 win.
Both Arsenal and Spurs will give an excuse of this week's Carling Cup encounters as well as next week's Champions League fixtures. Is it valid, or just what it is, an excuse?
Arsenal Well Beat By West Brom Albion 2-3 Due To Very Bad Defending.
[caption id="attachment_2119" align="alignleft" width="377" caption="Pic by Eurosport."][/caption]
Arsenal hosted West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates in London for the English Premier League encounter. Arsenal struck the post twice in one second with just 10 minutes played. While they played with purpose, they could not find their trademark rhythm at all in the opening half of the match. Nigerian Odemwingie had an above average match, being involved in most of West Brom attacks.
The Gunners looked too anxious to get an early goal, which appeared further and further with each desperate attempt. At the back, they defended further away from each, inviting West Brom to have a go at them, resulting in the visitors striking the post and then eventually getting a penalty. Emmanuel Alimuna endeared himself with the fans as he saved the spot-kick.
Arsenal allowed West Brom too much space, making them see a lot of the ball and inviting them to penetrate through the centre and wings. Odemwingie tapped in a cross from left after a quick exchange of passes in the 50th minute. A minute later Jara embarrassed Alimuna at the near post when he finished off a solo effort. The goal was a result of vast distances of cover in defence.
The defensive behaviour in midfield was never up to scratch either, as it became either too large or too short, resulting in 2 or 3 defenders being beaten by the same ball or dribble. A double substitution by Arsene Wenger upped the stakes for the Gunners. Tomas Rosiscky replaced Abu Diaby and Jack Wilshire replaced Emmanuel Eboue. The resultant efforts saw Samir Nasri being crudely brought down in the box but the referee wanted to see his head on a platter before he could give a penalty.
Arsenal started to be very generous with the ball, cheaply giving away possession under no pressure at all. West Brom, smelling blood, pushed forward at pace looking for more opportunities. Alex Song took a more offensive attitude and twice came close to pulling a goal back. Carlos Vela replaced Kosienly in the 65th minute, and injected more life into the Arsenal offensive.
A big concern for Wenger is the fact that whenever the West Brom attack was slow, the recovery speed was slow and the man under pressure had cover that was 20 metres away and during counter attacks, the next support would be within one metre. Jerome Thomas punished Alimuna's indecision in the 72nd minute as he failed to go down for a low ball across the 6 yard box.
Nasri however, showed a lot of maturity when he beat several defenders to stab the ball home 2 minutes later. Last minute efforts to save face by the hosts proved futile as the West Brom defence stood firm with good cover and support for each other at every occasion. With 5 minutes of injury time to play, Arshavin played Nasri a cool pass for the 2nd Arsenal goal. The goal made the Gunners stronger and kept fans on the edge of their seats. Arsenal were never to come back.
Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard scored as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Sunderland, in a match in which Darren Bent scored twice, one of them a penalty. Piquionne scored 29th minute goal as West Ham beat Tottenham Hotspur. Modric made a successful comeback and was denied by the post. Huddleston failed to tap into an empty net after beating the keeper. Fulham and Everton drew 0 - 0, as did Birmingham and Wigan Athletic. Blackpool's Adam scored an own goal to hand Blackburn a 1 - 0 win.
Both Arsenal and Spurs will give an excuse of this week's Carling Cup encounters as well as next week's Champions League fixtures. Is it valid, or just what it is, an excuse?
[/caption]Arsenal hosted West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates in London for the English Premier League encounter. Arsenal struck the post twice in one second with just 10 minutes played. While they played with purpose, they could not find their trademark rhythm at all in the opening half of the match. Nigerian Odemwingie had an above average match, being involved in most of West Brom attacks.
The Gunners looked too anxious to get an early goal, which appeared further and further with each desperate attempt. At the back, they defended further away from each, inviting West Brom to have a go at them, resulting in the visitors striking the post and then eventually getting a penalty. Emmanuel Alimuna endeared himself with the fans as he saved the spot-kick.
Arsenal allowed West Brom too much space, making them see a lot of the ball and inviting them to penetrate through the centre and wings. Odemwingie tapped in a cross from left after a quick exchange of passes in the 50th minute. A minute later Jara embarrassed Alimuna at the near post when he finished off a solo effort. The goal was a result of vast distances of cover in defence.
The defensive behaviour in midfield was never up to scratch either, as it became either too large or too short, resulting in 2 or 3 defenders being beaten by the same ball or dribble. A double substitution by Arsene Wenger upped the stakes for the Gunners. Tomas Rosiscky replaced Abu Diaby and Jack Wilshire replaced Emmanuel Eboue. The resultant efforts saw Samir Nasri being crudely brought down in the box but the referee wanted to see his head on a platter before he could give a penalty.
Arsenal started to be very generous with the ball, cheaply giving away possession under no pressure at all. West Brom, smelling blood, pushed forward at pace looking for more opportunities. Alex Song took a more offensive attitude and twice came close to pulling a goal back. Carlos Vela replaced Kosienly in the 65th minute, and injected more life into the Arsenal offensive.
A big concern for Wenger is the fact that whenever the West Brom attack was slow, the recovery speed was slow and the man under pressure had cover that was 20 metres away and during counter attacks, the next support would be within one metre. Jerome Thomas punished Alimuna's indecision in the 72nd minute as he failed to go down for a low ball across the 6 yard box.
Nasri however, showed a lot of maturity when he beat several defenders to stab the ball home 2 minutes later. Last minute efforts to save face by the hosts proved futile as the West Brom defence stood firm with good cover and support for each other at every occasion. With 5 minutes of injury time to play, Arshavin played Nasri a cool pass for the 2nd Arsenal goal. The goal made the Gunners stronger and kept fans on the edge of their seats. Arsenal were never to come back.
Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard scored as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Sunderland, in a match in which Darren Bent scored twice, one of them a penalty. Piquionne scored 29th minute goal as West Ham beat Tottenham Hotspur. Modric made a successful comeback and was denied by the post. Huddleston failed to tap into an empty net after beating the keeper. Fulham and Everton drew 0 - 0, as did Birmingham and Wigan Athletic. Blackpool's Adam scored an own goal to hand Blackburn a 1 - 0 win.
Both Arsenal and Spurs will give an excuse of this week's Carling Cup encounters as well as next week's Champions League fixtures. Is it valid, or just what it is, an excuse?
Arsenal Well Beat By West Brom Albion 2-3 Due To Very Bad Defending.
[caption id="attachment_2119" align="alignleft" width="377" caption="Pic by Eurosport."][/caption]
Arsenal hosted West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates in London for the English Premier League encounter. Arsenal struck the post twice in one second with just 10 minutes played. While they played with purpose, they could not find their trademark rhythm at all in the opening half of the match. Nigerian Odemwingie had an above average match, being involved in most of West Brom attacks.
The Gunners looked too anxious to get an early goal, which appeared further and further with each desperate attempt. At the back, they defended further away from each, inviting West Brom to have a go at them, resulting in the visitors striking the post and then eventually getting a penalty. Emmanuel Alimuna endeared himself with the fans as he saved the spot-kick.
Arsenal allowed West Brom too much space, making them see a lot of the ball and inviting them to penetrate through the centre and wings. Odemwingie tapped in a cross from left after a quick exchange of passes in the 50th minute. A minute later Jara embarrassed Alimuna at the near post when he finished off a solo effort. The goal was a result of vast distances of cover in defence.
The defensive behaviour in midfield was never up to scratch either, as it became either too large or too short, resulting in 2 or 3 defenders being beaten by the same ball or dribble. A double substitution by Arsene Wenger upped the stakes for the Gunners. Tomas Rosiscky replaced Abu Diaby and Jack Wilshire replaced Emmanuel Eboue. The resultant efforts saw Samir Nasri being crudely brought down in the box but the referee wanted to see his head on a platter before he could give a penalty.
Arsenal started to be very generous with the ball, cheaply giving away possession under no pressure at all. West Brom, smelling blood, pushed forward at pace looking for more opportunities. Alex Song took a more offensive attitude and twice came close to pulling a goal back. Carlos Vela replaced Kosienly in the 65th minute, and injected more life into the Arsenal offensive.
A big concern for Wenger is the fact that whenever the West Brom attack was slow, the recovery speed was slow and the man under pressure had cover that was 20 metres away and during counter attacks, the next support would be within one metre. Jerome Thomas punished Alimuna's indecision in the 72nd minute as he failed to go down for a low ball across the 6 yard box.
Nasri however, showed a lot of maturity when he beat several defenders to stab the ball home 2 minutes later. Last minute efforts to save face by the hosts proved futile as the West Brom defence stood firm with good cover and support for each other at every occasion. With 5 minutes of injury time to play, Arshavin played Nasri a cool pass for the 2nd Arsenal goal. The goal made the Gunners stronger and kept fans on the edge of their seats. Arsenal were never to come back.
Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard scored as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Sunderland, in a match in which Darren Bent scored twice, one of them a penalty. Piquionne scored 29th minute goal as West Ham beat Tottenham Hotspur. Modric made a successful comeback and was denied by the post. Huddleston failed to tap into an empty net after beating the keeper. Fulham and Everton drew 0 - 0, as did Birmingham and Wigan Athletic. Blackpool's Adam scored an own goal to hand Blackburn a 1 - 0 win.
Both Arsenal and Spurs will give an excuse of this week's Carling Cup encounters as well as next week's Champions League fixtures. Is it valid, or just what it is, an excuse?
[/caption]Arsenal hosted West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates in London for the English Premier League encounter. Arsenal struck the post twice in one second with just 10 minutes played. While they played with purpose, they could not find their trademark rhythm at all in the opening half of the match. Nigerian Odemwingie had an above average match, being involved in most of West Brom attacks.
The Gunners looked too anxious to get an early goal, which appeared further and further with each desperate attempt. At the back, they defended further away from each, inviting West Brom to have a go at them, resulting in the visitors striking the post and then eventually getting a penalty. Emmanuel Alimuna endeared himself with the fans as he saved the spot-kick.
Arsenal allowed West Brom too much space, making them see a lot of the ball and inviting them to penetrate through the centre and wings. Odemwingie tapped in a cross from left after a quick exchange of passes in the 50th minute. A minute later Jara embarrassed Alimuna at the near post when he finished off a solo effort. The goal was a result of vast distances of cover in defence.
The defensive behaviour in midfield was never up to scratch either, as it became either too large or too short, resulting in 2 or 3 defenders being beaten by the same ball or dribble. A double substitution by Arsene Wenger upped the stakes for the Gunners. Tomas Rosiscky replaced Abu Diaby and Jack Wilshire replaced Emmanuel Eboue. The resultant efforts saw Samir Nasri being crudely brought down in the box but the referee wanted to see his head on a platter before he could give a penalty.
Arsenal started to be very generous with the ball, cheaply giving away possession under no pressure at all. West Brom, smelling blood, pushed forward at pace looking for more opportunities. Alex Song took a more offensive attitude and twice came close to pulling a goal back. Carlos Vela replaced Kosienly in the 65th minute, and injected more life into the Arsenal offensive.
A big concern for Wenger is the fact that whenever the West Brom attack was slow, the recovery speed was slow and the man under pressure had cover that was 20 metres away and during counter attacks, the next support would be within one metre. Jerome Thomas punished Alimuna's indecision in the 72nd minute as he failed to go down for a low ball across the 6 yard box.
Nasri however, showed a lot of maturity when he beat several defenders to stab the ball home 2 minutes later. Last minute efforts to save face by the hosts proved futile as the West Brom defence stood firm with good cover and support for each other at every occasion. With 5 minutes of injury time to play, Arshavin played Nasri a cool pass for the 2nd Arsenal goal. The goal made the Gunners stronger and kept fans on the edge of their seats. Arsenal were never to come back.
Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard scored as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Sunderland, in a match in which Darren Bent scored twice, one of them a penalty. Piquionne scored 29th minute goal as West Ham beat Tottenham Hotspur. Modric made a successful comeback and was denied by the post. Huddleston failed to tap into an empty net after beating the keeper. Fulham and Everton drew 0 - 0, as did Birmingham and Wigan Athletic. Blackpool's Adam scored an own goal to hand Blackburn a 1 - 0 win.
Both Arsenal and Spurs will give an excuse of this week's Carling Cup encounters as well as next week's Champions League fixtures. Is it valid, or just what it is, an excuse?
Arsenal Well Beat By West Brom Albion 2-3 Due To Very Bad Defending.
[caption id="attachment_2119" align="alignleft" width="377" caption="Pic by Eurosport."][/caption]
Arsenal hosted West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates in London for the English Premier League encounter. Arsenal struck the post twice in one second with just 10 minutes played. While they played with purpose, they could not find their trademark rhythm at all in the opening half of the match. Nigerian Odemwingie had an above average match, being involved in most of West Brom attacks.
The Gunners looked too anxious to get an early goal, which appeared further and further with each desperate attempt. At the back, they defended further away from each, inviting West Brom to have a go at them, resulting in the visitors striking the post and then eventually getting a penalty. Emmanuel Alimuna endeared himself with the fans as he saved the spot-kick.
Arsenal allowed West Brom too much space, making them see a lot of the ball and inviting them to penetrate through the centre and wings. Odemwingie tapped in a cross from left after a quick exchange of passes in the 50th minute. A minute later Jara embarrassed Alimuna at the near post when he finished off a solo effort. The goal was a result of vast distances of cover in defence.
The defensive behaviour in midfield was never up to scratch either, as it became either too large or too short, resulting in 2 or 3 defenders being beaten by the same ball or dribble. A double substitution by Arsene Wenger upped the stakes for the Gunners. Tomas Rosiscky replaced Abu Diaby and Jack Wilshire replaced Emmanuel Eboue. The resultant efforts saw Samir Nasri being crudely brought down in the box but the referee wanted to see his head on a platter before he could give a penalty.
Arsenal started to be very generous with the ball, cheaply giving away possession under no pressure at all. West Brom, smelling blood, pushed forward at pace looking for more opportunities. Alex Song took a more offensive attitude and twice came close to pulling a goal back. Carlos Vela replaced Kosienly in the 65th minute, and injected more life into the Arsenal offensive.
A big concern for Wenger is the fact that whenever the West Brom attack was slow, the recovery speed was slow and the man under pressure had cover that was 20 metres away and during counter attacks, the next support would be within one metre. Jerome Thomas punished Alimuna's indecision in the 72nd minute as he failed to go down for a low ball across the 6 yard box.
Nasri however, showed a lot of maturity when he beat several defenders to stab the ball home 2 minutes later. Last minute efforts to save face by the hosts proved futile as the West Brom defence stood firm with good cover and support for each other at every occasion. With 5 minutes of injury time to play, Arshavin played Nasri a cool pass for the 2nd Arsenal goal. The goal made the Gunners stronger and kept fans on the edge of their seats. Arsenal were never to come back.
Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard scored as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Sunderland, in a match in which Darren Bent scored twice, one of them a penalty. Piquionne scored 29th minute goal as West Ham beat Tottenham Hotspur. Modric made a successful comeback and was denied by the post. Huddleston failed to tap into an empty net after beating the keeper. Fulham and Everton drew 0 - 0, as did Birmingham and Wigan Athletic. Blackpool's Adam scored an own goal to hand Blackburn a 1 - 0 win.
Both Arsenal and Spurs will give an excuse of this week's Carling Cup encounters as well as next week's Champions League fixtures. Is it valid, or just what it is, an excuse?
[/caption]Arsenal hosted West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates in London for the English Premier League encounter. Arsenal struck the post twice in one second with just 10 minutes played. While they played with purpose, they could not find their trademark rhythm at all in the opening half of the match. Nigerian Odemwingie had an above average match, being involved in most of West Brom attacks.
The Gunners looked too anxious to get an early goal, which appeared further and further with each desperate attempt. At the back, they defended further away from each, inviting West Brom to have a go at them, resulting in the visitors striking the post and then eventually getting a penalty. Emmanuel Alimuna endeared himself with the fans as he saved the spot-kick.
Arsenal allowed West Brom too much space, making them see a lot of the ball and inviting them to penetrate through the centre and wings. Odemwingie tapped in a cross from left after a quick exchange of passes in the 50th minute. A minute later Jara embarrassed Alimuna at the near post when he finished off a solo effort. The goal was a result of vast distances of cover in defence.
The defensive behaviour in midfield was never up to scratch either, as it became either too large or too short, resulting in 2 or 3 defenders being beaten by the same ball or dribble. A double substitution by Arsene Wenger upped the stakes for the Gunners. Tomas Rosiscky replaced Abu Diaby and Jack Wilshire replaced Emmanuel Eboue. The resultant efforts saw Samir Nasri being crudely brought down in the box but the referee wanted to see his head on a platter before he could give a penalty.
Arsenal started to be very generous with the ball, cheaply giving away possession under no pressure at all. West Brom, smelling blood, pushed forward at pace looking for more opportunities. Alex Song took a more offensive attitude and twice came close to pulling a goal back. Carlos Vela replaced Kosienly in the 65th minute, and injected more life into the Arsenal offensive.
A big concern for Wenger is the fact that whenever the West Brom attack was slow, the recovery speed was slow and the man under pressure had cover that was 20 metres away and during counter attacks, the next support would be within one metre. Jerome Thomas punished Alimuna's indecision in the 72nd minute as he failed to go down for a low ball across the 6 yard box.
Nasri however, showed a lot of maturity when he beat several defenders to stab the ball home 2 minutes later. Last minute efforts to save face by the hosts proved futile as the West Brom defence stood firm with good cover and support for each other at every occasion. With 5 minutes of injury time to play, Arshavin played Nasri a cool pass for the 2nd Arsenal goal. The goal made the Gunners stronger and kept fans on the edge of their seats. Arsenal were never to come back.
Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard scored as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Sunderland, in a match in which Darren Bent scored twice, one of them a penalty. Piquionne scored 29th minute goal as West Ham beat Tottenham Hotspur. Modric made a successful comeback and was denied by the post. Huddleston failed to tap into an empty net after beating the keeper. Fulham and Everton drew 0 - 0, as did Birmingham and Wigan Athletic. Blackpool's Adam scored an own goal to hand Blackburn a 1 - 0 win.
Both Arsenal and Spurs will give an excuse of this week's Carling Cup encounters as well as next week's Champions League fixtures. Is it valid, or just what it is, an excuse?
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