Christmas comes early

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
12 Dec	3:00 PM	P	Liverpool (A)	2	1	Win

Christmas came early for Arsenal this weekend, in the end it turned out to be a pretty perfect weekend but how it ended up that way I will never know. Watching the game on Sunday was a pretty tough task, at half-time Arsenal had yet to arrive at Anfield and were lucky to still be in the game given the clumsy defending of Gallas but somehow, probably helped by low Liverpool confidence, Arsenal came out on top and are suddenly right back in the title race.

When critics and so called pundits talk about the inexperience and youth in Arsenal's squad, what tends to be forgotten is the fact that Arsène Wenger is the second most experienced manager in the Premiership and probably the whole of Europe. So when Arsenal arrived in the dressing room, one down at halftime, he knew he had to get his message across, and according to captain Fabregas, this was a side of Arsène even he had not seen before.

Arsène knew, what with Saturday's results and the opportunity laid at Arsenal's feet going into the game, Arsène knew this was a game that had to be won. Again, I'm not entirely sure how Arsenal managed to come away with all three points, while we didn't exactly flow at any point in the game and didn't create many more chances than the two that were scored, the same could be said of Liverpool. What set us apart? A little magic from a little Russian and that one swift, strike of his right foot could be a huge turning point in the season.

When the question was asked of the Arsenal manager after the match, are Arsenal back in the title race? He replied 'mathematically yes and mentally, certainly yes,' implying that maybe the players weren't quite in the right place mentally after the Chelsea defeat but this result could well be the mental boost that was needed, reassurance that the team could actually win the title.
This momentum cannot be lost now, Burnley on Wednesday cannot be a slip up and the game in hand against Bolton must be another three points which at this moment in time would put us second and three points behind Chelsea.

If Arsenal can keep within touching distance of the summit while players, particularly the strikers come back to fitness, who knows what could be achieved. What is for sure is that the winners points tally will not be a high one, Arsène has said that even as low as 75 points could win the title, which should theoretically make it easier for us to win it but of course other clubs will also be thinking along the same lines.

What this win shouldn't do is mask the problems we still have going forward. Arsène has recently said he will look to buy in January, I think he should take experience from the last time Arsenal came close to the title a couple of seasons ago. He passed up the opportunity to buy in January back then and we ended up missing out on the title by just for points, a decent striker or even a decent player in any position could be a timely boost and could be enough to just push Arsenal over the line in the title race.

Finally, the African cup of nations is only a few weeks away and while some have been playing down its significance, I believe the loss of Essien and Drogba could have a huge effect on Chelsea. As Arsenal fans, I'm sure we all recognise the effect Drogba has on the Chelsea team and of late, with Lampard's goals drying up, Drogba has been the only goal scorer in the side. At the same time, I wouldn't want to put too much hope on Chelsea slipping up through January, we need to focus on our own game and anything that goes on around that is a bonus. The Liverpool win has certainly given the season renewed hope and optimism, with a bit of luck who knows what could be possible?

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