The results are in..........
Player of the season
Robin Van Persie, who else?
Following the departure of Fabregas, the Dutchman was given the captain’s
armband and carried the team on his shoulders for much of the season. Van
Persie was simply phenomenal, scoring 30 Premier League goals along the way and
becoming a real talisman for the side. Without him who knows where Arsenal
would have finished in the league.
Goal of the season
Mikel Arteta’s wonderful free
kick at home to Aston Villa deserves honourable mention, but Robin Van Persie’s
volley against Everton on the day Arsenal celebrated their 125th
anniversary takes the award.
It was an outstanding shot,
with the ball arriving over his shoulder he still managed to find the bottom
corner of the net with unerring accuracy. The captain’s volley away at
Liverpool wasn’t bad either and there was his strike into the top corner at
home to Tottenham too……
Luckiest goal of the season
Andrey Arshavin only scored
one goal this season and it was a direct result of sheer luck. As Michel Vorm
attempted to throw the ball forward, it struck his own defender on the back of
his legs and fell straight to Arshavin for the Russian to duly slot the ball
into the empty net.
Best celebration
There can only be one winner, Thierry Henry vs. Leeds. The Arsenal legend came back to the club he loves with many questioning his decision and wondering if he would tarnish his reputation. However Henry proved that class is permanent as he came off the bench against Leeds in the F.A. Cup to a rapturous welcome and duly slotted home the winner as if he had never been away. Cue sheer delirium, as Henry ran towards Arsene Wenger to embrace his mentor before manically beating his chest. A true legend.
Assist of the season
Alex Song and Robin Van Persie made a habit of combining to
great effect this season, but the Cameroonian’s vision to spot the movement of
his captain away at Liverpool and then provide an inch perfect chipped pass for
Van Persie to volley home was incredible.
Tackle of the season
Two minutes into injury time
against West Brom and with Billy Jones bearing down on the Arsenal goal, to
seemingly level the game and confine the Gunners to fourth spot, Kieran Gibbs
came flying in from nowhere to produce an outstanding block and effectively
save Arsenal’s season.
Save of the season
Wojciech Szczesny had a strong
first full season between the sticks and made several top drawer saves
throughout. His most important save was probably from Antonio Di Natalie’s
penalty in Udinese, enabling Arsenal to qualify for the group stages of the
Champions League and make some much needed last minute signings. Szczesny’s
best save however came in the away game at Liverpool. With the home side
completely dominating the game, Liverpool were awarded a penalty and up stepped
Dirk Kuyt to convert. Yet Szczesny had other ideas and first flung himself to
his right to block the Dutchman’s low effort, before jumping back up and racing
across the goal line to push away Kuyt’s second effort, from the rebound. It
was a fantastic double save and showed the young Pole’s commitment and desire
to win.
Embrace of the season
On the last day of the season,
against West Brom, with Arsenal desperately clinging onto the lead that would
seal third place in the league, Arsene Wenger turned to the man who has been by
his side for the past 16 years, Pat Rice, and hugged him. It was a truly
touching moment in Rice’s last game with the club before retiring after a 40
year association with the Gunners. We
wish him all the best for the future.
Most improved player
This was a really close call
between Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Rosicky. In his first season at the club
many doubted whether Koscielny possessed enough talent to play at the highest
level. However in his second season, Koscielny has proved his doubters wrong,
as he has grown into the role of centre half to become one of Arsenal’s most
important players. He possesses great pace and awareness and his positioning
and strength in the tackle have greatly improved, leading to his call-up to the
French national side. If both stay fit next season, Koscielny’s partnership
with Vermaelen could prove to be one of the best in the Premier League.
However the award for most
improved player has to go to Thomas Rosicky. The man dubbed as little Mozart
has struggled to find his best form since signing for the club, due to a series
of injuries which saw him side-lined for months on end. At the end of last
season Gunners fans could no longer see a future at the club for the Czech captain,
yet at the turn of the year everything changed. Wenger moved Rosicky into the
middle of park and he never looked back. It was like watching a completely
different player, as Rosicky chased and harried the opposition, made tackle
after tackle and was at the centre of Arsenal’s attacking play. In particular,
his performance against Tottenham at the Emirates was simply breath taking;
let’s hope he can build on this for next season.
Sharpest decline
Marouane Chamakh. The Moroccan
international made a very promising start to his Arsenal career and seemed to
be settling in well. However his form has slumped dramatically since the middle
of last season and has never recovered. This season Chamakh has hardly played,
only scoring one goal in the defeat away to Blackburn. On the few occasions he
has entered the field of play, he has looked slow and ponderous as he struggles
to hold the ball up and he seems to also lack a striker’s natural instinct to
gamble in the box. Surely Wenger will
seek to off-load him in the summer.
Andrey Arshavin, who spent the
second half of the season on-loan to Zenit St Petersburg, was a very close
second. The Russian infuriates the Arsenal faithful each and every time he
plays, with his absolutely disgusting body language. He clearly couldn’t care
less about the club and the feeling is more than mutual. He is another player
who should be sold this summer.
Best summer signing
Arsene Wenger eventually
signed several players in the summer transfer window, but it was probably the
last of these that had the biggest impact on the side. Mikel Arteta’s move from
Everton to Arsenal on the last day of the transfer window was on, then off,
then it was on again and finally went through just before the window slammed
shut. Just as well too, as the Spaniard proved to be an essential cog in the
Arsenal machine, providing a seamless link between defence and attack, while
his vast experience was a welcome addition to the side too. The fact the
Gunners only won one game all season, on the last day against West Brom,
without Arteta is testament to just how important he is to the side.
Worst summer signing
Ju Young Park. The South
Korean striker only played 16 minutes of Premier League football all season and
this wasn’t because he was injured.
Brightest young prospect
Three candidates were up for
this award, Francis Coquelin, Emmanuel Frimpong and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
All three burst into the first team this season to give the fans a taste of
what to expect in the future. Coquelin returned from a season long loan at
French side Lorient the year before and proved that he can play at the highest
level. The young Frenchman is strong in the tackle, has great energy and is
comfortable with the ball at his feet too. He also showed his versatility by
filling in at full back during the club’s mid-season full back shortage.
Frimpong unfortunately
suffered a second cruciate ligament injury while on loan at Wolves, but I’m
sure he will bounce back. One thing you cannot doubt about the Ghanaian is his
heart and sheer passion. When speaking about Sol Campbell, Arsene Wenger once
said you could go to war with Sol, well the same is true of Frimpong. He is a
real warrior, who is scared of no one and who refuses to give in. All Arsenal
fans look forward to seeing him return to full fitness, wearing the famous red
and white once more.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the
£12 million summer signing from Southampton, lit up the Emirates this season
with several sparkling displays, in particular against Manchester United and AC
Milan, resulting in his inclusion in England’s Euro 2012 squad. Adept at playing on either wing or in
midfield, Chamberlain has the speed, strength, vision and skill to become one
of Arsenal’s most potent threats in years to come and therefore he is this
season’s brightest young prospect.
Game of the season
Another close call, this time
between the 5-3 win away at Chelsea and the 5-2 demolition of Tottenham. Both
results came at times in the season when Arsenal’s entire campaign seemed on
the brink of collapse and so both were equally astonishing and unexpected. The
game at Chelsea was not one for the faint hearted as it contained several
twists and turns, 1-0 down, 1-1, 2-1 down, 2-2, 2-3 and with ten minutes left
Juan Mata’s wonderful strike levelled the match once more at 3-3. However there
was still time for Robin Van Persie to score two late goals, giving Arsenal a
5-3 win and scenes of wild celebration at the final whistle.
The win at Stamford Bridge
felt amazing and heralded a much needed return to form, following a disastrous
start to the season. However nothing can compare to the feeling at the final
whistle, having just thumped Tottenham 5-2 and after being two goals down too!
At 2-0 down, Arsenal’s bitter rivals were set to move thirteen points clear of
the Gunners, but the home side had other ideas. Two quick goals before
half-time from Sagna and Van Persie levelled the match and then after the break
Rosicky gave the Gunners the lead before a Walcott double sealed the win. The
fact this result led to Tottenham’s demise and enabled Arsenal to reel them in
and inevitably overtake them, simply adds icing to the cake. So game of the
season is Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham.
Worst game of the season
This was a season of extreme
highs and lows and the euphoria of the results at Chelsea and at home to
Tottenham were equalled by the despair felt at the heavy defeats away to AC
Milan and Manchester United. Arsenal’s 4-0 demolition at the hands of Milan was
the worst European performance by the Gunners in the history of the club. The
players just did not perform on the night and were made to pay by a Milan side
who simply wanted it more. The Italian side could have scored as many as they
liked on this dark day in the history of Arsenal F.C. However defeat in
Northern Italy was not as humiliating as the 8-2 loss away to Manchester United
as the Gunners simply collapsed, allowing United to run riot and forcing the
club to compensate those fans who had travelled all the way to Manchester to
witness such a disgraceful performance. Worst game of the season? It has to be
Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal.
Worst collapse
In recent seasons Arsenal have
become synonymous with catastrophic collapses from winning positions and
unfortunately this season was no different. When leading 2-1 at half-time away
to Blackburn, whose supporters were so disheartened with their club’s form they
staged a protest before the game, Arsenal fans would have been forgiven for
thinking the three points were in the bag. Two own goals in the second half
from Song and Koscilney, coupled with another from Yakubu, saw Blackburn race
into a 4-2 lead. A late header from Chamakh reduced the deficit but Arsenal
could not find an equaliser and ultimately left Ewood Park empty handed.
Later in the season, away at
Fulham, Arsenal had taken an early lead and were looking extremely comfortable.
That was until Johan Djourou, playing out of position at right back, was red
carded for a second yellow card and the game completely changed. Former Gunner
Steve Sidwell equalised in the 85th minute before Bobby Zamora
volleyed home the winner with virtually the last kick of the game to seal all
three points for the home side.
However as Blackburn were
eventually relegated and Arsenal contributed to their own demise with two own
goals, the 4-3 defeat has to be the worst collapse of the season.
Moment of greatest disillusionment
With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
terrorising Manchester United at the Emirates and Arsenal having just restored
parity, thanks to Chamberlain’s wonderful through ball to Van Perise, not one
of the 60,000 fans could understand why Wenger decided to replace Chamberlain
and bring on the utterly useless Arshavin. A large number of fans booed the
decision and some even began to chant “you don’t know what you’re doing” in
Wenger’s direction, while television cameras caught Van Persie shouting “No!”
to the bench. Manchester United went on to win the game 2-1 and Arsenal seemed
to be stuck in terminal decline.
Comeback of the season
Arsenal were the side who
recovered from losing positions on more occasions than any other team in the
Premier League this season. The team’s never say die attitude also extended to
the F.A. Cup as Aston Villa visited the Emirates and strolled into a two goal
lead by half-time. Cue a remarkable second half comeback by the Gunners, who
scored three goals within the space of twelve minutes to win the tie 3-2. Then
of course there was the remarkable comeback, also from two goals down, against
Tottenham, to eventually win the game 5-2, which made Harry Redknapp’s face
turn redder than Arsenal’s home shirts.
However the award for best
comeback goes to Arsenal’s 2011/2012 season. Following their worst start to a
season in over 50 years, the Gunners found themselves languishing as low as 17th
in the league at one stage, with football experts giving them no hope of
finishing in the top four. In fact despite that fantastic victory over
Tottenham at the end of February, Arsenal were still seven points behind their
North London rivals. Yet at the end of season the Gunners had somehow managed
to finish third and qualify automatically for next season’s Champions League, a
phenomenal comeback.
Speaking of great comebacks,
Thierry Henry’s return to the club in January deserves honourable mention. The
Arsenal legend cemented his status as one of club’s greatest players by scoring
three times during his short stay, two of which were crucial winning goals.
So near yet so far
This award could potentially
go to Tottenham, for finishing fourth in the Premier League but then failing to
qualify for the Champions League due to Chelsea winning this season’s
competition and effectively dumping Tottenham into the less glamorous Europa
League. However Arsenal’s valiant effort to overturn the 4-0 defeat away to AC
Milan is far more deserving. Surely the Gunners couldn’t comeback from that
horrendous drubbing in the San Siro? Well they so very nearly did. As woeful as
they were in the first leg, Arsenal were outstanding at the Emirates, as they
pummelled the Milan goal and moved into a three goal lead, on the night, by
half-time. The Gunners were within touching distance of achieving the seemingly
impossible and had Van Persie’s early second half effort not been inexplicably
saved by Abbiati, they may just have won the tie. Unfortunately as the game
wore on Arsenal’s players ran out of steam and a lack of options on the bench
allowed the game to drift by. The home side may have been eliminated from the
competition but their supporters were left feeling extremely proud.
Better late than never
Arsenal are a side who refuse
to give in and continue to play until the very last minute, meaning they often
score crucial last minute goals. The two that stand out from this season are
Henry’s goal away to Sunderland and Thomas Vermaelen’s effort at home to
Newcastle. Away to Martin O’neil’s in-form Sunderland, Arsenal’s second half
lead was cruelly cancelled out when Per Mertesaker caught his boots on the
Stadium of Light pitch and turned his ankle. James McClean pounced, as the
German lay stricken, and fired past Szczesny to restore parity. As time ticked
on it seemed as though Arsenal would drop points once again, yet Arshavin’s
cross found Thierry Henry free in the box to volley the winner and send the
away fans wild.
Henry’s winner at Sunderland is just piped at the post by
Thomas Vermaelen’s goal against Newcastle. At a time when Arsenal’s form had
changed for the better, having recently beaten Tottenham and Liverpool, the
Gunners were frustrated all evening by a dogged Newcastle side. With Van Persie having cancelled out Ben
Arfa’s 14th minute strike within a few seconds, Arsenal completely dominated
the game but just could not find the winner. Chance after chance went begging
but Arsenal were not to be denied and in the last minute of stoppage time a low
ball into the box found Vermaelen unmarked at the back post to drive the ball
home. As the three points meant Arsenal were gaining more ground on Tottenham,
the atmosphere at the Emirates was fantastic. The fact Tim Krul’s incessant
time wasting was not rewarded was also rather satisfying and amidst the
celebrations, Van Persie strode up to his Dutch compatriot and told him just
what he thought of his antics, sarcastically advising him to now take his time.
Performance of the season
The 7-1 victory over Blackburn came close, but you have to
put in a phenomenal performance to completely dominate a game against the
richest side in the world. Manchester City came to the Emirates chasing a first
league title in 44 years, but you would never have known it, as the Gunners out
fought, out muscled and out thought their opponents from start to finish.
Arsenal’s goal was never under threat throughout the entire 90 minutes and the
home side were duly rewarded when Arteta’s fine late strike flew past Joe Hart
to seal all three points.
Most satisfying moment
Seeing John Terry stumble, before falling to the ground,
face first, as Van Persie ran through on goal and rounded Cech to give Arsenal
a 4-3 lead at Stamford Bridge was special.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsYD06hVaw8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsYD06hVaw8
However chanting “Adebayor
what’s the score?” as the traitor in chief trudged off the pitch at full-time,
having seen his new side demolished 5-2 at the Emirates, was extremely
satisfying. It was even more satisfying given that the Togolese had danced in
front of the Arsenal faithful to celebrate giving Tottenham a two goal lead. He
who laughs last laughs loudest Ade. Incidentally he also tried to brush off the
result as a one off, insisting it didn’t really matter as Tottenham were still
seven points clear of the Gunners. Oh dear…………
How did we win that?
Rarely are Arsenal as completely dominated as they were at Anfield this season.
In the first half in particular Liverpool missed a penalty and hit the post as
well as having several other chances to take a commanding lead but somehow
Arsenal managed to go in at half time level at 1-1. In the second half
Liverpool continued to dominate possession and although they didn’t create as
many chances as they had in the first period, Martin Kelly missed the best
opportunity of the entire game when he failed to make contact with the ball, with
a gapping goal in front of him. With injury time fast approaching, Arsenal
strode forward, Alex Song chipped the ball over the Liverpool defence and Robin
Van Persie applied an exquisite volley to beat Reina at his near post. It
really was a robbery.
Bet of the season
With Tottenham moving well
clear of Arsenal early in the season and Spurs fans advising the Gunners to
“mind the gap”, Jack Wilshere was receiving numerous messages on Twitter from
gloating Tottenham supporters. The England midfielder promptly stated that
should Arsenal finish below their North London rivals he would donate £3,000 to
charity. At the time it seemed as though Wilshere should have written the
cheque there and then and maybe that’s why Jermain Defoe decided to join in
the fun and match his England colleague’s bet. Come the end of the season, it
was the Tottenham striker who ended up £3,000 out of pocket.
Ideas above
their station
Every single Tottenham Hotspur
supporter. In January they thought they were going to win the league, in May
they limped home in fourth place.
Great To see this Blog on Arsenal's official Site.
ReplyDeleteJames
Sublime Gary. :-)
ReplyDeletewhat a difficult season it was!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, great summary and I really enjoyed it.
One thing, personally I still would give the Assist of the year to Song (to RVP) but instead of Liverpool I'd choose against BVB. That was some Arshavin-esque move by Songo!
Song certainly had an outstanding season, with 14 assists from defensive midfield, as his all round game improved dramatically. We all hope he will sign a contract extension this summer as he only has 18 months left on his current deal.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful nd annoyin season it was,hop we challenge much beta nxt season.WE NEED RVP,sumbdy tel Arsene Wenger
ReplyDelete