It has been a torrid week for Arsenal. It began with a shock loss to rivals Tottenham at their home ground. The Gunners had completely dominated their London rivals and had a deserved two nil lead at the break. But somehow, Harry Redknapp's men ended the game with a 3-2 victory.
However it got worse for Arsene Wenger and his men. The North London giants travelled to Portugal to encounter the Portuguese champions Sporting Braga inside Champions League. Needing a mere point to qualify to the next round of Europe's most prestigious domestic competition and boasting a comparatively fit starting XI, it looked a routine win for that Gunners.
However, horrific refereeing and an unengaged Arsenal attack alongside dismal defending saw Braga have a shock 2-0 victory, ensuring Arsenal must beat Serbian giants FK Partizan Belgrade on the Emirates to advance to the final 16. To add salt to wounds, Wenger lost captain and midfield maestro Cesc Fabregas to a hamstring injury and key utility Emmanuel Eboue to a ligament injury through the SC Braga clash. However, if any team is are able of reviving their title aspirations, it's Arsenal. The Gunners face a doughty Aston Villa outfit coached by a tremendously talented and experienced mentor in Gerard Houllier. Furthermore, the overall game is staged at the Villians home ground of Villa Park.
Wenger is going to be hoping to regain confidence and hope after successive shock losses as well as reinforcing Arsenal's presence throughout England. As usual the Frenchman are going to be without several key players. However, the primary talking point will be if the Gunners can "kill off" the game, should they start strongly and take an early lead.
No comments:
Post a Comment