It’s Those Legs, Eleven

Well, we started the game really, really well and ran rings around United for about twenty minutes, then the rest of the first half was ping-pong; a great game in fact, and pretty even. Then right at the end of the first half Toure handled the ball, and let’s be frank, he was very lucky to stay on. But nil-nil it was at the break.

Sadly for us, we tired in the second half and our hosts grew stronger, and the goal duly came. It was a good one too, much as I hate to say it. Sometimes a goal is just a great goal – there’s no blame on anyone. After that, it was always going to be tough, and we couldn’t quite get the goal despite several breaks. When they made it 2-0, there was no return.

But overall, I think we performed creditably, given our hosts’ form and our own midweek exertions.

The trouble is, we lost. So where does that leave us? Well, with little margin for error, that’s where. I still think we have a better chance to make fourth than some people think, especially if you compare our run-in to that of our chums up the road, the Totteringhams. They have some tough games against sticky opponents. Clearly, much will hinge on the derby game on 22nd April.

Forget for a moment if you can that we have now lost eleven league games, the fact is today’s defeat was only our first in eight. And it came against a side we’ve not beaten in the league since winning the league in 2002. Four barren years that is.

Jim

Arsenal since about 1979. Thick, thin and all that.