#Wigan (2)1 - 1(4) #Arsenal
FT-Pens
Match Stats
The #FA Cup semifinal match against Wigan started exactly the way I envisioned. Arsenal started with a tiny spark that soon fizzled into a slow, cautious display of football. As the first half continued you could literally see the confidence being drained from Arsenal's starting 11, and as the confidence drained so came the anxiety, not just from the players but from the crowd as well. I dont know about you but this was as boring a 1st half of football that I can remember watching, and the stadium ambiance didn't do anything to relieve the boredom, there empty seats, and the whole stadium was so quit you could hear a mouse fart. It really didn't feel like a FA Cup semifinals match being played at Wembley Stadium.
Wigan had nothing to loose, and everything to play for, but if you think about it Arsenal could and should have taken that same approach, instead Arsenal came out timid, unsure, and indecisive, and as the game wore on you always felt Arsenal would make a mistake and Wigan would capitalize on it and score the opening goal. That's exactly what happen just after the hour mark when Mertesacker did his best Koscielny impression and rashly challenged Wigan's McManaman in the box. Jordi Gomez after what seemed like an eternity calmly scored the penalty, and thank goodness he scored, because it was only after Arsenal went down that they started to play with a sense of urgency. And as time went by and Arsenal became more desperate to equalized, Wenger did the unthinkable, he turned to the Big Sam/ Tony Pulis tactics book, and eventually it paid off with Arsenal scoring the scrappiest of goals.
The Good - Gibbs really looked good when he came on bringing energy and pace. He does make some weird decisions in final 3rd. He reminds me of the left-back version of Theo Walcott when it comes to his to his final 3rd decisions, but all and all when Monreal went down, he stepped in nicely and performed well for the team.
Fabianski had another solid game in goal. He's proving the old adage that keeper's get better with age correct. Composed responsible goal keeping is what he brings to the table now days, and his performance in the penalty shoot-out showed how far he has come as a keeper. Fabianski has done everything he can to redeem his past blunders, well maybe not the infamous back pass at the Nou Camp in Champions League, but lets all hope he can even redeem that blunder in the FA Cup final.
The Bad - It was truly a poor decision for the Wigan coach to sub off McManaman. He was their creative spark and he caused Arsenal's defense all sorts of problems, and eventually earned a legitimate penalty which gave Wigan the lead. Once McManaman was on the bench, Wigan never threatened to score another goal.
Pundits and fans alike will comment on how poorly Arsenal played without giving any consideration to the fact that Wigan BEAT #ManCity TWICE in this competition, once in last year's Final, and again this year in the quarterfinals at the #ETIHAD Stadium. So of course Wigan came into this match with a lot of confidence, especially with how poor Arsenal's form has been lately. So with everything thats has been going horribly wrong with Arsenal the past 10 games, for this team to fight back to tie the game, and then keep their nerves in the penalty shootout, shows what type of resiliency and heart this team can draw upon, and hopefully this win can be the foundation for Arsenal to build upon and finishing out the season with the FA Cup, and a 4th place finish in league. I'm sure it you asked any Arsenal support at the start of the season, would they take a 4th place finish in league and the FA Cup, the answer would have been a resounding yes. #COYG
Peace Out,
Blanco
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