This week in sport: 10-16 May 2010

This is likely to be the last “This week in sport” for 3 months, as domestic football in the major European leagues has finished. Don’t worry, sports fans, there will likely be World Cup, Wimbledon and Formula 1 reports to tide you over til next season! Cup contests were decided and league champions were finally crowned in Spain and Italy. Meanwhile, Monte Carlo played host to a spectacular Grand Prix and England actually won something!

GOOD WEEK

Mark Webber and Red Bull: The Aussie continued his dominant form to produce another pole to flag victory on the streets of Monte Carlo. Webber never looked flustered, despite the rest of the field dropping like flies in an incident-packed race.  An understandably delighted Webber led the pack home behind a 4th safety car of the afternoon to give his team a 1-2 finish. He now leads the driver’s championship standings alongside his teammate Sebastian Vettel.

England cricket team: Paul Collingwood’s men ended the week in style to clinch their first international trophy in the World Twenty20. England ended up as deserving winners, combining tight bowling with explosive batting all through the tournament. Sri Lanka were easily dispatched in the semi-final before the old enemy Australia were blasted aside in the final, with Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen (they’re English, really!) starring.

Atlético Madrid: Liverpool’s semi-final conquerors ground out an extra-time victory against a limited but determined Fulham side to capture the Europa League in Hamburg. Atlético had Diego Forlán to thank (yet again) as he provided both the opener and extra-time winner that spelled the end of Fulham’s fairytale. They could yet complete an improbable cup double, with the Copa del Rey final coming up against Sevilla on Wednesday.

Honourable mentions: Barcelona, Inter, Chelsea, Amir Khan, Rafael Nadal and Robert Kubica.

BAD WEEK

Lord Triesman: The FA chairman and 2018 World Cup bid leader Lord Triesman was forced to resign this week after a tabloid sting. Triesman was recorded while speculating about various conspiracies involving other potential World Cup hosts Spain and Russia. He alleged that the Spanish authorities were looking to bribe referees with the help of Russian money. The scandal has caused considerable damage to the England bid, which was submitted only a few days before the news broke.

Real Madrid: Spain’s capital club must be feeling extra distraught this week as they watched hated city rivals Atlético lift the Europa League before Barcelona clinched the league title on the final day of the season. That they finished in second on 96 points would be particularly painful, but in truth, Barcelona were clearly superior to Real’s expensively-assembled collection of galácticos. Manuel Pellegrini looks to be out of a job, with José Mourinho seemingly lined up to replace him. Conveniently, the Inter Milan manager will be at the Bernabéu on Saturday for the Champions League final which might serve as some kind of audition.

The FIA: Even though Mark Webber led home a Red Bull 1-2, all the headlines were about Michael Schumacher’s sensational last corner move on Fernando Alonso. Schumacher capitalised on Alonso’s shaky exit from Rascasse, after the white safety car line, to pass him at Anthony Noghes. At the time, the commentators agreed that it was a supreme display of opportunism from the veteran, but the FIA called the move into question and Schumacher was eventually punished with a 20-second penalty and so demotion from 6th to 12th. The controversy was to do with the ambiguity over whether the race finished under the safety car, and the moving of the overtaking line from the start/finish line to the new white line. Nevertheless, the marshals, under instruction from Schumacher’s bitter rival Damon Hill, decided the overtake was in breach of regulations.

Honourable mentions: Michael Ballack, Jenson Button, Roma, Portsmouth, Real Mallorca and Bobby Zamora.

Arsenal 09/10 season review

Arsenal followed up a disappointing 08/09 season with a slightly stronger showing this time around. However, the usual problems of injuries and defensive mistakes ultimately led to another trophyless season. The miserable run at the end of the season means I won’t quite be as positive as I first thought (or hoped) but overall it does represent a step in the right direction.

Arsenal got what they deserved in terms of both the league and the Champions League. Clearly, they were not at the level of Chelsea or Manchester United (just look at the head-to-head meetings) and were humbled by Barcelona in Europe. Here are a few conclusions to take away from this season’s action.

The new 4-3-3 formation still needs work

Arsène Wenger deployed a new 4-3-3 formation, very much in the style of Barcelona, for the new season. The aim of the formation was to relieve Cesc Fábregas of some of his defensive duties and allow a more fluid, dynamic way of attacking. Somewhat surprisingly (for the English), Nicklas Bendtner was not used as the focal point of attack but shifted to the right, with Robin van Persie as a slightly atypical centre-forward. This turned out to be a fantastic decision, as van Persie linked play perfectly in the middle, while Bendtner dominated his opposing left-back aerially, giving the option of long diagonal balls when required. Cesc also flourished, grabbing a career-best 19 goals for the season and providing plenty of assists as well.

Where the system fell down was in the application of pressing and the over-reliance on van Persie to play the central striker role. Early on in the season, the intensity and execution of the pressing was very good, allowing the team to win the ball in dangerous areas à la Barcelona. As the season dragged on and injuries began to take their toll, the pressing became less intense and less organised, allowing the better teams to exploit the gaps that were left (Barcelona gave Arsenal a lesson in both the application of pressing and attacking). The goals really started to dry up around Christmas, when injuries to van Persie and Bendtner left Andrei Arshavin to play centre-forward. In fact, the team averaged over 3 goals per game with van Persie and 1.77 without, displaying the Dutchman’s importance.

Wing play needs improving

This is crucial when opposing teams park the bus and persuade Arsenal to move the ball wide. All too often, Arsenal’s wing play has been poor, meaning fewer goalscoring opportunities for the strikers. Wenger likes to put a right-footed ‘winger’ on the left side of attack, who almost always cuts inside (and passes or shoots) and never tries to beat the opposing full-back. This places a lot of emphasis on the right-sided players to provide width and crosses into the box. Sagna, Eboué and Walcott have all been inaccurate when delivering the ball, which is often made more difficult by the lack of targets in the area. Even Bendtner likes to drift wide or drop deep to get the ball, instead of providing an option for the crosser.

The squad lacks leaders

There are far too many players in the squad who have a tendency to become lazy unless there is a strong figure on the pitch. Cesc did a fine job around Christmas, when he almost single-handedly dragged the team through a difficult period but when he was injured, the lack of leaders on the pitch was painfully obvious. Sol Campbell was brought in to lessen this effect, but still couldn’t prevent an end of season collapse in which a handful of players strolled around during defeats to Wigan and Blackburn.

Some fringe players need to sharpen up or leave

The squad players need to show more pride in wearing the Arsenal shirt. When the likes of Denílson and Rosický came in for Cesc and Arshavin, they showed very little  commitment, especially when trying to overcome a deficit. It was this type of showing that was so disappointing at the back end of the season. From a fan’s prespective, a player’s lack of ability can be forgiven, but a lack in effort can’t.

The injury situation can’t be coincidence

The number of injuries suffered this season definitely played a part in Arsenal dropping out of the title race. Against Barcelona for example, William Gallas, Thomas Vermaelen, Cesc, van Persie and Arshavin were all out injured. These key players were suffering from serious injuries all at the same time, and countless more were victims of muscle tears and little niggles. Nicklas Bendtner, Johan Djourou, Gaël Clichy, Eduardo and of course Rosický were also long-term absentees at certain points. Samir Nasri, Aaron Ramsey and Kieran Gibbs unfortunately lost large chunks of the season to broken bones which obviously can’t be prevented.

However, there is a growing suspicion that there is a systematic cause for the seemingly endless list of small muscle complaints. Whether it is something to do with training methods or medical mismanagement is anybody’s guess, but the club have decided to monitor the players’ training with GPS in the hope of being able to prevent further injuries from happening.

Cesc and van Persie are critical to any future success

Just look at the results when van Persie was fit, and when Cesc was injured. These two players bring so much to the side that their replacements can’t. Even when they are coming back from injury, they managed to do a better job in 20 minutes than the rest of the team put together. A half-fit van Persie transformed the North London derby on his return to action while Cesc came off the bench to inspire the team to victory against Aston Villa before injuring himself again. As usual, Cesc is still being talked of as a Barcelona transfer target and the media storm will likely get worse as the Barça will be holding presidential elections this summer.

A new keeper is a priority

All of Arsenal’s keepers have looked shaky at times during the season. Simply put, neither Manuel Almunia or Lukasz Fabianski are good enough for a club that has aspirations of major silverware. Many times during the season, the duo have directly contributed to lost points and poor results. For Almunia, think Birmingham away or conceding a crucial penalty at Old Trafford. For Fabianski, think Porto or Blackburn. In reserve, there is Vito Mannone, who is still very raw, and the talented Wojciech Szczesny who has been putting in brilliant performances for Brentford.

Arsenal desperately need an established top-class keeper if they are to seriously challenge in the league or Champions League. The names of Rob Green, Craig Gordon and even Gianluigi Buffon (please!) are being linked to the club, as well as usual suspect Sebastian Frey.

Several new signings are needed

Apart from a new keeper, the rest of the squad could do with strengthening, particularly in defence. Mikaël Silvestre and Philippe Senderos are likely to be followed out the door by William Gallas, whose contract negotiations have stalled.  Two central defenders would be needed to go with Vermaelen, Djourou and (hopefully) Campbell. Meanwhile, Alex Song could do with some cover for the crucial defensive midfield position. Inevitably, there is talk of Yaya Touré being available to fill the gap, now that he has fallen out of favour at Barcelona. In attack, Marouane Chamakh finally looks like he will make the move to Arsenal on a free transfer, paving the way for Eduardo or Carlos Vela to leave.

This week in sport: 3-9 May 2010

This week saw titles decided all across Europe, as well as the ICC World Twenty20, the start of the Giro d’Italia, a new snooker World Champion, the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass and Formula 1 from Catalunya.

GOOD WEEK

Chelsea: The Blues stormed to their first title in 4 years with an emphatic 8-0 hammering of Wigan at Stamford Bridge. This was the 4th time they put at least 7 goals past their opponents this season (Sunderland, Aston Villa and Stoke were the other victims), and they notched up a Premier League record 103 goals for the season. Didier Drogba hit a hat-trick for Carlo Ancelotti’s team to secure the Golden Boot with 29 league goals. The title came as an amazing relief for the team, especially for ‘nearly man’ Michael Ballack and disgraced Englishmen Ashley Cole and John Terry. Chelsea could complete a league and cup double on Saturday if they overcome Portsmouth in the FA Cup final.

Fernando Alonso: The Ferraris came into Catalunya with an all-new aero package which included the controversial F-duct system. Alonso once again outperformed his teammate Felipe Massa and finished with a scarcely believable second place at his home race. The Spaniard benefited from Lewis Hamilton’s puncture on the penultimate lap and Sebastian Vettel’s brake problems to score another podium finish. Remarkably, the operating the F-duct system meant that Alonso often had no hands on the steering wheel into turn 1, when the car was travelling at over 300km/h.

Kevin Pietersen: The England batsman had a week to remember as he finally put together an explosive sequence of innings we all knew he was capable of. He blasted half-centuries against Pakistan and his native South Africa to give England 2 priceless victories and has now flown home for the birth of his first child.

Honourable mentions: Spurs, Olympique Marseille, Bayern Munich, Inter, Bradley Wiggins and Neil Robertson, Dallas Braden and Tim Clark.

BAD WEEK

Roma and Francesco Totti: The Giallorossi failed to stop Inter from achieving the first part of a possible treble as they lost 1-0 in the Coppa Italia final. The match itself was fairly unremarkable, but Roman icon Francesco Totti stole the headlines when he was sent off for booting Mario Balotelli. Though Balotelli himself is far from popular, there was no excuse for Totti to target him in this way. In the league, Inter and Roma both won, meaning Roma need to win against Chievo and hope the Nerazzurri drop points at struggling Siena.

Manchester City: The nouveau-riche billionaires from Eastlands had a Champions League showdown with Spurs on Wednesday but seemed overawed by the occasion as they went down 1-0. Despite needing to win, Roberto Mancini’s tactics were decidedly negative and allowed Tottenham to secure 4th place and all the cash and prestige that comes with the Champions League. City’s summer recruitment plans may be hit as they will have to make do with Europa League football next season.

Nico Rosberg: The young German was slower than his illustrious teammate Michael Schumacher throughout the weekend amid rumours that the ex-champion has been exerting his influence over the team. The Mercedes did not look competitive in qualifying or the race and Rosberg, who started 8th on the grid, suffered a botched pit-stop on his way to 13th place.

Honourable mentions: Manchester United, Franck Ribéry (again!), Tiger Woods and Heikki Kovalainen.

Liverpool 2-1 Atlético Madrid: Reds lose out on away goals

I was lucky enough to go to the Europa League semi-final at Anfield, on what was a massive night for Liverpool and under-fire manager Rafa Benítez. The Reds needed to overturn Altético’s 1-0 aggregate lead given to them by Diego Forlán but fell agonizingly short on the night, with Forlán again dealing the killer blow.

This was my first visit to Anfield, and I was expecting the atmosphere inside the ground to be electric. I was not disappointed, and the crowd, led by the Kop was amazingly vocal the whole evening. As usual for a big European night, there was an extra sense of anticipation that was encapsulated in a spine-tingling rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone.

As for the game itself, Liverpool flew out of the blocks, with Yossi Benayoun forcing a save out of David de Gea in the first 10 seconds. Then Dirk Kuyt couldn’t turn in a Javier Mascherano cross following a neat one touch move involving Steven Gerrard and Alberto Aquilani. After that, there were few scoring opportunities, though Daniel Agger had a goal correctly ruled out for offside. The breakthrough came near the end of the first half, when Aquilani swivelled expertly to convert a Benayoun cross. The second half was relatively incident-free, and extra time was needed to separate the sides.

In extra time, Liverpool took the lead when Benayoun drove in left-footed from a tight angle. The keeper might have done better, but that made no difference to the Liverpool fans as the stadium erupted. However, Glen Johnson failed to deal with a high ball, allowing José Antonio Reyes to cross to an unmarked Forlán, who slammed home. The former United man’s joy was clear to see, and he was booked for his celebration, evoking memories of a slightly homoerotic Sid Lowe article.

Not for the first time, Rafa Benítez’s tactics and substitutions were slightly puzzling, both to fans and neutrals like myself. Most notably, Steven Gerrard was played behind Aquilani in central midfield, and even when the Italian was replaced, Gerrard remained deep with Lucas given more freedom to break forward.

Liverpool's starting formation

Chasing the game after Forlán's goal

For all of his many qualities, Gerrard doesn’t possess the technique or composure to dominate a game from central midfield, particularly against technically-minded European opponents. He would have been better employed further forwards, behind the main striker, where his dynamism and drive can be used more effectively. Apart from set-pieces, Gerrard had little effect on the match as a whole, and only managed one shot of note. Even when chasing the game, Gerrard stuck rigidly to his position, no doubt under the manager’s instructions. Instead, Lucas pushed further forwards and joined the motley crew of El Zhar, Pacheco, Babel and Kuyt up front.

That Benítez replaced arguably his most effective player in Benayoun with Pacheco and goalscorer Aquilani for El Zhar was not a surprise to many fans, who have become increasingly accustomed to Rafa’s strange decision-making. In the end, it wasn’t the manager’s poor tactics that lost the tie, but an individual mistake from a player in an unfamiliar position. Benítez must take some of the blame for that, as the culpable player was £17 million signing Glen Johnson, by all accounts an average defender at best. With the ownership situation at Liverpool yet to be resolved and no Champions League football, the manager’s future must be called into question. Maybe a move to Juventus would be the best thing for both the club and Benítez.

Here are some photos from the game I took on my phone. Our seats were on halfway, just above the press boxes.

Defensive masterclass puts Mourinho’s men Inter the final

Going down to 10 men still didn’t stop Inter from putting on a defensive clinic to earn a priceless victory against Barcelona. They will play Bayern Munich, who eased past Lyon 4-o on aggregate.

Inter took a 3-1 lead into the second leg at the Nou Camp, thanks to a fine counter-attacking performance. For the second leg, Inter’s only thought was to defend, especially after Thiago Motta’s farcical red card. Already on a yellow, the Brazilian put up his hand behind him to help shield the ball from the onrushing Busquets. The Barça midfielder then ran lightly into the outstretched hand before collapsing to the floor and rolling around. The despicable act of gamesmanship was compounded as the camera cut to him having a quick peek to see if the referee was going to reach for the red card (below).

From this point, Inter were forced to abandon all attacking ambition and play with 10 men behind the ball, in effectively a training exercise. Their defence was outstanding for the whole match, keeping their organisation and discipline and maintaining a feverish work rate. The grizzled veterans Walter Samuel and Lúcio used every trick in the book to keep Barcelona’s much-vaunted forward line at bay. All the old tricks were employed in the true Italian style (despite having no Italian players in the side) with time-wasting, injury-feigning and grappling at corners a fixture from the opening whistle. In fact, one such skirmish left the disappointing Zlatan Ibrahimović with a massive rip in his shirt. The centre-backs were ably assisted by Maicon, Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso, who put in an almost perfect performance over the 2 legs.

While Barcelona might complain about the cynicism of the Inter players, it should also be noted that their players can be just as bad. Apart from the Busquets incident, they also have one of the most consistently annoying, diving, cheating players around in Dani Alves. Gerard Piqué eventually popped up to give Barça hope for the last 10 minutes, showing all the composure of a proper centre-forward (take note Ibra!). There was still time for a terrible Bojan miss and some questionable refereeing decisions, most notably the handball decision in stoppage-time that denied Barça their winner. So Inter enjoyed some good fortune over the tie, but when Barcelona’s own progression from this stage last season was gifted to them against Chelsea, it could be said that luck is an essential part of European success.

After the match, it was all about José Mourinho, who sprinted onto the pitch at the final whistle. El Tradutor did not hesitate to make a triumphant gesture in front of 100,000 baying Barcelona fans, and even Barça keeper Valdés couldn’t stop Mourinho from enjoying his victory. Still, the final offers another intriguing Mourinho subplot, as he faces up against his former mentor Louis van Gaal, now the Bayern manager.

This week in sport: 19-25 April 2010

This week saw the semi-finals of the Champions League and Europa League,which went ahead despite travel disruption, the start of World Championship snooker, the climax of the  2010 IPL, the London Marathon and of course a busy round of league fixtures.

GOOD WEEK

West Ham: The Hammers effectively guaranteed another season in the top flight this weekend with a hard-fought 3-2 win against Wigan. Under-fire coach Gianfranco Zola may still be replaced come the end of the season, but his side showed that they weren’t going anywhere with a terrifically spirited display. They are now 6 points clear of 18th placed Hull with 2 games to play, but have a far better goal difference.

Inter: Not content with beating reigning European champions Barcelona in midweek, José Mourinho’s side also seized back top spot in Serie A. Inter’s convincing 3-1 win at Atalanta on Saturday piled the pressure on Roma, who lost 2-1 at home to Sampdoria to end their incredible 24-match unbeaten run.

Steve Davis: The 52-year old 6-time World Champion rolled back the years to defeat last year’s winner John Higgins in an epic second round match. The Nugget displayed all of his usual determination and some tidy breakbuilding to triumph 13-11. He will face Neil Robertson in the quarter-finals.

Honourable mentions: Chennai Super Kings, Chelsea, Schalke, Sampdoria, Daniel Keatings and Tsegaye Kebede.

BAD WEEK

Hull: It looks like the Tigers will be playing Championship football next season as a defeat at home to 10-man Sunderland all but condemned them to the drop. To make matters worse, the Hull chairman has publicly stated that the financial situation of the club is far from ideal, though administration is not on the cards (yet).

Franck Ribéry: Is he the John Terry of German/French football? Soon after details of his affair with an underage prostitute emerged, the still-happily-married Ribéry got himself sent off in the Champions League quarter-final against Lyon. In the next match, his Bayern team could only draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach, allowing Schalke to draw level on points with them at the top of the Bundesliga.

LaShawn Merritt: The double Olympic-gold medallist was banned for a provisional 2 years following a positive drug test. In a particularly tragic (or comic) twist, it was revealed the banned steroid was an ingredient in a penis enlargement cream. His own take on events will certainly be remembered for a while, given the ironic choice of words: “…difficult to wrap my hands around” sounds pretty unlikely if you ask me.

Honourable mentions: Burnley, Shay Given, Bruno Labbadia, Roma and Carl Froch.

Champions League semi-final round up

The Champions League semis took place this midweek, despite the travel disruption caused by volcanic ash. Barcelona got the coach to Milan, where they faced Inter, while Lyon made a similar trip to Munich to take on the German league leaders Bayern.

Inter/Barcelona was the stand-out tie of the round and included many intriguing subplots: Mourinho against his first club, Eto’o against Ibra, attack against defence. Barça arrived on the back of a fractious 0-0 draw in the Catalan derby, where Daniel Alves was sent off. The Brazilian’s relationship with referees took another turn for the worse against Inter as he was booked for diving when it looked like he had a legitimate penalty claim. Meanwhile, Inter were relatively fresh after their 2-0 victory over Juventus in the derby d’Italia on Friday evening.

All the talk before the game surrounded how the Special One was going to contain the phenomenal Leo Messi. Mourinho deployed the ever-dependable Javier Zanetti at left-back to deal with Messi if he popped up in his favoured position on the right, while Esteban Cambiasso and Walter Samuel would counter the threat through the middle. Mourinho also encouraged his charges to press intently in all areas of the pitch to limit Barça’s time on the ball. The plan worked perfectly, with Zanetti rolling back the years to stop Messi time after time and the team winning the ball high up the pitch to create plenty of opportunities. All this combined with a fair slice of luck to give Inter victory, despite going down to a well-worked Pedro goal.

Inter’s fightback began when Sneijder swept in after a neat lay-off from Diego Milito. The goal had an element of luck as it stemmed from a mishit Samuel Eto’o cross. In the second half, Inter’s extra rest time really started to make a difference, as they hit 2 more goals. First, Maicon scored his second goal in 2 games after Thiago Motta won the ball deep in Barça territory. Then, Milito got the goal his performance deserved, heading in from 2 yards from a suspiciously offside position after a botched Sneijder effort.

Barça had no real reply, and it was clear Xavi and Messi were visibly frustrated by Inter’s commitment. In terms of Ibra vs. Eto’o, it was clear that the Inter man ended their personal battle on top. Zlatan, who was bought at great expense to be Barça’s “Plan B” had no impact on the match, looked lazy as ever and was hauled off before the end. He was so lazy in fact, that he ran less than the Barcelona keeper Víctor Valdés. On the other hand, Eto’o was involved in 2 of Inter’s goals, providing crosses from the right on both occasions.

On Wednesday, Bayern Munich struggled past a largely impotent Lyon, despite playing the majority of the match with 10 men. The man in the headlines yet again was Franck Ribéry, who was sent off after a crude tackle on Lisandro Lopez. This completed a miserable week for the Bayern’s one-time talisman, when he was implicated in an underage prostitution scandal. Some might say this wasn’t the first time Ribéry’s tackle got him in trouble…

On the pitch, Bayern’s new top dog Arjen Robben continued his blistering form to score in his 4th consecutive Champions League game (a run that includes spectacular winners against Fiorentina and Manchester United). Clearly relishing his increased responsibility, the Dutchman fired in a shot from 30 yards that beat Hugo Lloris via the head of Thomas Müller. The young forward wisely opted not to claim the goal, lest he upset his influential teammate. It turned out to be a wise move, as Robben’s volatility was on display again after he was taken off by manager Louis van Gaal. Things could have been worse for Lyon but Bayern missed a number of good chances, the best falling to Ivica Olić and Bastian Schweinsteiger. However, they lost makeshift centre-back Jérémy Toulalan to another red card, giving them real problems in defence for the second leg.

So both home teams ended up winning and the ties are both fascinatingly poised going into next week. Is it just a coincidence that the away teams lost after mammoth coach journeys? The managers refuse to admit this publicly but it could have been a factor. We will have to wait another few days to see who will make it to the final at the Santiago Bernabéu. Whether they arrive by coach or plane is another matter entirely…

Wigan 3-2 Arsenal: Almighty collapse leaves season in tatters

Arsenal put the pain of their derby defeat behind them by capitulating to an even more demoralising 3-2 reverse at Wigan. An incredible sequence of events in the final few minutes ended up with defeat being snatched from the jaws of victory and has effectively ended the season for Arsenal.

Arsenal failed to capitalise on Chelsea’s loss to Spurs and are now out of the title race, barring a miracle. The gap to Chelsea was 6 points before Sunday’s game, and after 75 minutes of action it looked inevitable that Arsenal would close the deficit to 3. Seemingly comfortable at 2-0 up after goals from Walcott and Silvestre, Wenger’s side contrived to concede 3 goals in 11 minutes at the end of the game. It was a collapse of epic proportions, something the English cricket team’s middle order would be ashamed of. As spectacular comebacks go, Wigan’s must be right up there with Liverpool-AC Milan in 2005. Except in that example, it was 2 powerhouses of European football in the Champions League, rather than relegation candidates against title challengers.

Whether it was a question of maturity, mental strength, mentality or lack of quality, this Arsenal team once again proved that they do not have what it takes to win trophies. Every time they have faced a crunch game, this Arsenal team has ended up losing. They were shown up against Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona. This week they surrendered to both Spurs and Wigan. The only time they have shown any backbone or stomach for the fight was in the 3-1 victory against Stoke, when Aaron Ramsey’s leg was broken.

This team looks like it will end up as the glorious failures of the Premier League, shot down in a blaze of glory just inches from the finish line. It is no coincidence that they did best when they were written off, when they had no expectation to win anything. As soon as they were back in the running, it was only a matter of time, of gravity, that they would fall down again.  They are the Icarus of the Premier League table. They aimed for the sun, but got too close to it and fell back down.

If I may continue the metaphor, Icarus tried to reach the sun again but Daedalus did not modify the wings, merely rebuilding them. The same thing happened and still Icarus can’t make it to the sun. No matter, Daedalus will patch the wings back up and Icarus can try again. To most observers, it would be obvious that the construction of the wings is flawed. The wax cannot withstand the heat, new materials are needed. Yet Daedalus is stubborn as ever, he is convinced that these wings will get Icarus to the sun. He keeps persisting with the design, oblivious to the fact that the materials he has are not sturdy enough.

As a coach, Wenger has absolute faith in his players, but it is in danger of becoming blind faith. The inability to find a top-class keeper is perhaps the most serious of his blind spots. Lukasz Fabianski stepped in for Almunia and made yet another costly error in a big game. He dropped a corner onto the head of Titus Bramble, who headed over the line from 2 yards. Before the Wigan game, the Pole had made mistakes in the Carling Cup final against Chelsea and the Porto match in the Champions League. He is clearly too error-prone to be a reliable number 1. Almunia is not much better, having been beaten from 35 yards in midweek and throwing the ball into the net against Birmingham.

Better defensive coaching would also help remedy the inherent frailty of the current set-up. Granted, Arsenal were without 3 of their top 4 centre backs against Wigan but even with Gallas, Vermaelen and Song, the team always gives the opposition a chance. It is no coincidence that Arsenal’s best defensive run in the Champions League happened when Wenger was helped by Martin Keown. It should not be forgotten that this sequence was achieved with a young Philippe Senderos and Mathieu Flamini in the back 4, showing the importance of organisation. This was clearly lacking against Barcelona, when Zlatan Ibrahimović twice beat the offside trap to score, and against Spurs when Gareth Bale was left all alone to make it 2-0. It should also be remembered that the defence Wenger inherited was one of the most well-organised defensive units in the history of the English game. Contrast that with the defence of the current Arsenal team, a defence that Wenger has built from scratch.

Something has to be said for the mentality of the current crop of players. None of them, bar Sol Campbell, have won the Premier League as part of Arsenal’s first XI. They have displayed they do not know how to win at the highest level, despite many of them being full internationals. I have already explained how the young players may feel a sense of entitlement, and so do not have the desire to drag the team forwards in tough times. This lack of drive and complacency has poisoned the mentality of the club and leaders on the pitch are few and far between. Why Wenger kept one of those leaders, Robin van Persie, on the bench til the 90th minute is a mystery, considering his excellent cameo on Wednesday. The team’s play in the second half was particularly sloppy, the midfield was unable to hold onto the ball and the team was unable to gain any attacking momentum. As against Spurs, Abou Diaby was especially ponderous, giving the ball away far too often.

A serious shake-up is needed in the summer and hopefully new signings will be made. Wenger has spoken about how money is available and that there are shortcomings in the squad but he is unlikely to bring in more than a couple of players. Whether he will persist with his idealistic vision for another year is certain, but sooner or later he may have to sacrifice some of those ideals in order to win some trophies.

Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal: Gunners in losing to Spurs shocker!

Arsenal’s title ambitions were left in tatters as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat in the North London derby. The Gunners put in a sloppy performance which resulted in their first league defeat to Spurs since 1999. Robin van Persie made his comeback from injury after 5 months out, but even he couldn’t inspire the team to overcome a 2 goal deficit.

Arsenal displayed their usual failings in defeat last night: sloppy defending, tactical naivety, lack of squad depth and toothless attacking. The first Spurs goal came via a 30 yard volley from debutant Danny Rose. While the quality of the strike is indisputable, Almunia could have caught the corner rather than punching out. After that, Arsenal enjoyed a lot of possession without ever looking threatening. In fact, Gomes didn’t have to make a single save in the first half as an invisible wall seemed to be put up on the Spurs 18-yard line. Arsenal were comfortable with the ball up until that point, but couldn’t find the penetrating pass to get through, save one Bendtner chance.

Tottenham’s tactics were beautifully set up to counteract the Gunners’ lack of potency out wide. Knowing Tomáš Rosický would be playing on the left of attack, Harry Redknapp deployed Younes Kaboul, essentially a centre-back, on the right. Arsenal started with 2 right-backs, Sagna and Eboué, before bringing on Walcott. Again Redknapp countered by effectively playing 2 left-backs in Bale and Assou-Ekotto. In the middle, King and Dawson were able to deal with aerial balls to Bendtner, and the central midfielders tucked in to force Arsenal wide.

These tactics, combined with the deficiencies in the Arsenal midfield, meant Spurs looked fairly comfortable with their lead. Simply put, Denilson, Diaby, Rosický and Eboué had terrible games. In midfield, they looked assured in possession, passing the ball accurately and looking for space. When they came up against the line of Tottenham defenders, they seemed scared to try anything, whether it was beating the man or having a shot. Arsenal supporters would hope that Rosický, the Czech international captain, would be able to make a significant contribution to the attack, but his return has been a measly 3 goals in 31 appearances. Even though he was out for 18 months, he was rewarded with a no doubt improved contract along with Diaby and Denilson. Meanwhile, William Gallas, arguably the squad’s best defender, may yet leave the club on a free transfer as his new contract has yet to be finalised.

The life of a young player at Arsenal must be easy. Make no high-profile mistakes and wait for the stars (and Bendtner) to bail you out in the matches. Then sit back and watch as the team comes close to winning a trophy. You might be disappointed but it’s OK as you are still a young team and the titles will come. This lack of pressure has caused the development of many of the squad players to stagnate, yet they are encouraged to continue as bumper contracts are handed to them. I would say this applies to Diaby, Denilson, Vela, Walcott (to an extent) and Rosický. Of course, if you have the determination to succeed and not rest on your laurels, you could turn into the next Fábregas.

Back to the match, and Arsenal conceded again a minute into the second half, when Gareth Bale took advantage of a shocking defensive line, now including Silvestre, to make it 2-0. Wenger then introduced Walcott, to little effect, before the return of van Persie. The Dutchman immediately sparked the team into life, forcing Gomes into spectacular saves from a volley, free-kick and long shot. It showed how much Arsenal missed a player who was direct, skillful and not afraid to shoot. The goal soon came, and van Persie was at the heart of the action again. He slipped a ball down the right of the area to Walcott, who squared for Bendnter to stab in his 9th goal in 11 games. Gomes then tipped a Campbell header onto the bar as Arsenal pressed in vain for an equaliser.

In the end, defeat leaves Arsenal effectively 7 points behind Chelsea, as the leaders have a far better goal difference. Wenger can take some positives from the game as Nasri and Campbell performed admirably, and of course he will be buoyed by the successful return of van Persie. The Dutchman was crucial to Arsenal’s play in the early part of the season, with the team averaging 3.26 goals with him but only 1.77 without. The fact he had such an impact means the fans are left wondering what might have been had he stayed fit, but unfortunately this season was disrupted by the ankle injury he suffered while playing for the Netherlands. Hopefully, van Persie can inspire the team to a strong finish to the season, exact his revenge on Emmanuel Adebayor in the next home match, and maybe even drag Arsenal to second place in the league.

This week in sport: 5-11 April 2010

This week saw the return of Tiger Woods to competitive golf at the Masters, the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the Grand National and a busy league schedule around Europe.

GOOD WEEK

Phil Mickelson: One of the most popular golfers on tour, Mickelson has endured a difficult year as his wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite all this, Mickelson returned to form at Augusta, playing some breathtaking shots on his way to a -16 total. This put him 3 ahead of his closest challenger Lee Westwood and sealed an emotional third green jacket for Lefty.

Barcelona: This could well be a season-defining week for Barça as they hit imperious form in their 2 biggest games to date. First, Arsenal were swatted aside in the Champions League with unbelievable performances from Leo Messi and Xavi. These 2 players attracted untold amounts of praise in the press and carried their form to the clásico on Saturday night. Real Madrid were beaten 2-0 without Barça ever really hitting their stride, to leave them effectively 4 points adrift of Pep Guardiola’s side.

Claudio Ranieri: Cast aside by European powerhouses Chelsea and Juventus, it looks like the softly-spoken “Tinkerman” may well have the last laugh this season. His Roma side are currently on a fantastic 23-match unbeaten run in Serie A and usurped long time leaders Inter yesterday with a 2-1 victory over Atalanta. Inter continue to be distracted by the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, meaning the league title could be Roma’s for the taking.

Honourable mentions: Portsmouth, Manchester City, Matteo Manassero, the FA Cup and Fabian Cancellara.

BAD WEEK

Real Madrid: Before Saturday, they had a perfect home record with 45 points from a possible 45. However, they came up against a Barcelona side that thoroughly outclassed them, showing all the money in the world can’t buy success. Real’s crown jewel, world record signing Cristiano Ronaldo, typified everything wrong with their approach, trying to win the game by himself and making badly rushed decisions. And all this on a Champions League week when they could only sit and watch, knowing they won’t make a triumphant return to the Santiago Bernabéu on May 22nd.

Manchester United: The current English champions had a week to forget as they were knocked out of the Champions League and were held to a 0-0 draw at Blackburn. One time Manchester United target Arjen Robben scored a sumptuous volley to put out the 2009 finalists on away goals. On Sunday, they put in an insipid display against Blackburn to miss their chance of going top, making a trophyless season a distinct possibilty.

Sergio García: The serial Major-flaker was at it again this week at Augusta as he finished in an embarrassing tie for second-last. The Spaniard carded the worst round of the day to finish +10 for the tournament. With Tiger on his way back, who knows if Sergio will ever realise his talent and win an elusive Major? St. Andrew’s in July looks a more realistic target.

Honourable mentions: Tottenham, Wembley, Howard Webb, Bordeaux and Hull City.