Arsenal pick up vital away points at Villa Park.
Arsenal's latest away trip saw them matched up against an injury ravaged Villa side, but a Villa side that was still undefeated at home this season nonetheless. Arsenal weren't without their own injury problems too, as Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Eboue picked
up injuries during the away trip to Braga which transformed into utter disappointment, as now Arsenal need to win the next match against Partizan Belgrade to guarantee qualification into the next round of the Champions League. Cesc Fabregas had a reccurence
of the hamstring problem thats dogged him since the second half of last season. Thomas Vermaelen and Abou Diaby are still some time away from putting on the red and white for Arsenal and Aaron Ramsey has been sent on loan to regain match fitness and sharpness.
So Arsenal too were without captain and main inspiration Fabregas, and with Van Persie still lacking match fitness, Arsene Wenger had to make do without his two principal creative talents. Rosicky deputised for Fabregas as team captain and cheif playmaker
while Maroane Chamakh continued up top in the absence of Van Persie. Andrei Arshavin and Samir Nasri slotted onto either wings and Jack Wilshere And alex Song formed the defensive aspect of the midfield. Squillaci prolonged his continued presence in the team
thanks to Vermaelens lingering achilles problem. Fabianski started in the goal.
Villa on the other hand had to put young Barry Banan and Clark into the midfield in the absence of a number of marauding midfielders such as Captain Stylian Petrov. Robert Pires started against the team he helped turn into "The Invincibles" back in 2004.
Ashley Young, Stewart Downing and John Carew completed the attack. The defense comprised of the solid pairing of Richard Dunne and Collins as centre backs, complimented by Luke Young and Stephen Warnock on either flanks. Brad Friedel continued in the goal,
nearing two hundred consecutive appearances.
And it was Arsenal who started brilliantly. Arshavin carved through the Villa defense with a brilliant through ball to Marouane Chamakh open on the goal and it needed a solid save from Brad Friedel to deny the Arsenal Frontman. But the tone was set, and
Arsenal should really have been at least 3-0 up by the time the clock displayed ten minutes on it. But the goal, inevitable as it was, took 39 minutes to come. Collins and Young both got attracted to the ball kicked long by Fabianski and they both got in each
others way as the ball slipped underneath them, Arshavin got to the ball and sprinted into the box, cut into Richard Dunne and blasted a low shot between the legs of James Collins and past Brad Friedel. It was an emphatic finish and another was soon to follow,
courtesy of Samir Nasri.
Four minutes later Arsenal got a corner after Friedel saved magnificently from a close Chamakh header. Arshavin hung the ball towards the edge of the box and Samir Nasri, a player in red hot form, latched onto it with a sweet volley to make it 2-0.
After the break Arsenal started shakily, and Villa capitalised with a stunning volley from Clark. The goal should've been disallowed as John Carew was obstructing Fabianski's view from an offside position but the linesman failed to spot it. It seemed Arsenal
would implode again as they so effortlessly did against Tottenham a week ago after taking a 2-0 lead, but this time they went straight on the offensive and when Rosicky released a through ball for Chamakh he was first to react as he ran and prodded it home
underneath the onrushing Brad Friedel. Now 3-1 to Arsenal was again comfortable, but Villa probed and tried and got one back when a corner was headed by Dunne towards the near post and Clark headed it again past Fabianski. It was 3-2 now.
Arsenal then had to endure some Villa attempts but made sure of the three points when Chamakh broke and crossed towards the back post to an unmarked jack Wilshere who scored with a diving header. The points were secure and Wilshere got his first premier
league goal. It was a happy ending for Wilshere and Arsenal as they did not succumb to pressure and stood up to it strongly.
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