2.20am. Sore hamstrings. Been re-enacting some of RVP’s finest goals from this season in the garden this evening in eager anticipation for tomorrow’s road-trip to West Bromwich Albion. I can’t bring myself to go to sleep and now, the end is near and so I face the final curtain…
The title race, Champions League qualification and relegation will be determined by the last round of matches in what has been the most unpredictable and enthralling season since English football was redefined in 1992. In fact, this current Premier League campaign was this week voted the best of its 20-year existence and today is set to provide a fitting finale.
As I write this, I am filled with mixed emotion; excitement, anxiety, fear and hope to name but a few. The thought of finishing below Tottenham sends shivers down my spine – surely we’re not that bad? The league table shows that we currently hold a slender advantage heading to West Brom in the race for third but our challenge has become more difficult with the Hawthorns ready to give Roy Hodgson an emotional farewell before he takes charge of England.
Twitchmeister’s Spurs lie waiting to pounce on any opportunity with a London derby against Martin Jol’s Fulham at White Hart Lane before them, while Newcastle are a point further back and face the toughest task in requiring nothing less than victory at Everton.
WBA away is a nerve jangler. The Norwich game showed just how willing we are to press the self-destruct button. Having managed to go 3-2 up after trailing the Canaries for much of the game, we failed to see out the final eight minutes without conceding. Inexplicably, we lost out shape entirely and were ultimately the architects of our own downfall. Alex Song had possession in midfield and instead of playing a simple pass either sideways or backwards, he tried something too clever and gifted Norwich the ball. Gibbs was caught out by the ball through to Morrison who lashed home the equaliser. A stupid, stupid goal to concede. Fortunately for us, Spurs bottled it at Villa Park the next day and so we have one final chance at guaranteeing 3rd place but there’s little margin for error.
Upon consideration of our current injury problems, the team perhaps picks itself - with only one or two decisions for Arsene to make:
The biggest decision for me is who to play as wide men. It seems Gervinho’s been out of sorts since his return from the African Cup of Nations but I think he had glimmers of his best out on the left against Norwich. He’s quick & skilful and even boasts more goals and assists than a certain Bobby Pires had in his first season in England - just saying! Rumours are that Theo has travelled and passed part one of his fitness test but I’d probably keep him on the bench and go for The Ox out wide on the right. Despite Benayoun’s impressive recent form, I would go for The Ox purely because of his explosive pace which would pose a great threat to the Baggies’ defence.
It’s a must-win game. We can’t rely on others to bottle it again so our focus has to be right from the first whistle. The players need hunger, passion and desire. Despite the fact that Albion have lost nine games at the Hawthorns this season (only the bottom three have a worse record), they have conceded only 19 goals at home, the same as title contenders, Manchester United. The Baggies have beaten us just once in 39 years on home turf so let’s hope this run continues!
Finally, our skipper, RVP, has the chance to be celebrating more than just Champions League qualification if things go his way in our final match of the season. Various goal-scoring records are potentially within reach for the recently-crowned Footballer of the Year and they are worth noting. One more goal would see him equalling the all-time Premier League record for a 38-game season of 31, achieved by Alan Shearer in 1995-96 and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2007-08. It would also create a new club record for Arsenal in a 38-game season, taking him one clear of Thierry Henry, who scored 30 for The Invincibles of 2003-04. Remarkable.
I wrote on 14 August 2011 that I thought Arsenal would finish top four, above Spurs, and that Manchester City would win the title - I still believe this, so fingers crossed it will be a fitting end to what has been a gripping drama from the very start.
COME ON YOU RED MEN…
Love,
XX
