Man of the Match: Wigan v. Arsenal

Arsenal traveled to the JJB Stadium on Saturday to face high-flying Wigan. The newly-promoted side were having a great run of form and were situated 2nd on the table and 5 points ahead of us at the start of play.

Despite a determined display from the home side we put a halt to their 9 match unbeaten run beating them 3-2 thanks to a thrilling first half with a goal from Robin van Persie and a brace from captain Thierry Henry. The win was our first away win of the season in the league, so there was a feeling of relief all around. Wigan twice reduced our advantage but we held out to take all three points.

Here is how the team performed:

Defence Lehmann did not do much in the match. He came out well on corners and overall did well between the sticks. Touré and Campbell were a bit out of sorts as was our whole back line. Lauren worked hard but on occasions was a bit below par. Cygan played in the left back position and well to be quite honest it is not the position for him. He was constantly found in the wrong position and lacking pace.

Midfield Cesc Fabregas had a brilliant match and worked hard in the centre of the park. He provided the assist for our second goal and did well going forward. Gilberto was not himself and gave the ball away on a few occasions. Píres had a good match, he did well going forward and provided us with an additional threat up front. Freddie Ljungberg made a good comeback from injury causing Wigan some problems and showing us his importance. Flamini was introduced late on and did not make much of an impact.

Up Front Thierry and Robin together are one deadly partnership. It was great to see them out there together and causing the Wigan defence problems. I'm really glad they are working so well together and scoring a fair amount of goals between them. You could see how much we missed Robin's pace when he was substituted for Dennis Bergkamp.

Overall It was a tough match and overall we played quite well. Our defence had a few problems especially on the left side. Up front we were going great guns and looking quite dangerous. Wigan is not an easy team to play due to their determination and commitment but we dealt with them well and held on for the three points. Next up FC Thun away in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Official Arsenal-Mania Man of the Match for this game is Thierry Henry who has scored a hatful of goals since his return. Thierry won the award with 60% of the votes; he was followed by Cesc Fabregas who had 22% and Robin van Persie who had 12%.

Quotes from the MOTM voters:

KingReyes ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz who else but Henry.

Mark Cesc. Very good display in the middle of the park despite whichever c*nt it was who barged into him earlier on. Didnt let it unsettle him and he really did put in one of his best performances of the season. Excellent passing and generally solid.

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