If Arsenal were looking for the opportune moment to take to the premier leagues summit, this weekend was it. This Saturday, to be more precise, could've held the key to a successful season, but once again as a chance presented itself, Arsenal withered away.
Arsenal’s match was the first in an action packed weekend, filled with twists and turns, major upsets and unlikely comebacks from the brink of defeat. Arsenal took on Tottenham Hotspur for the highly anticipated North London derby, and optimism was in the
air, for seventeen years Tottenham had not defeated Arsenal in their own backyard and to all related to Arsenal it seemed highly unlikely that Tottenham would turn this streak around.
And Arsenal got the start every team dreams of. Fabregas got the ball in his own half, he looked up, saw Nasri making the run inside and lofted a long ball over the spurs defence, Nasri latched onto the ball and missed controlled it slightly and it seemed
the chance had gone, but a hesitant Gomes allowed for Nasri to roll the ball past him and as he reached the by line Nasri produced a deft finish to somehow get the ball in from the acutest of impossible angles.
Cesc Fabregas had, with that one pass, virtually eliminated the whole Spurs backline and proved again to the world why he is rated so highly by envious eyes at Barcelona.
Then 15 minutes later Arsenal absorbed a Tottenham attack and as the ball came to Sagna they went straight on the offensive, Sagna passed to Nasri who in turn found Fabregas, Fabregas raced with the ball penetrating into Spurs territory and released the
ball to Arshavin on the left wing, Arshavin drove in a low teasing cross to which Chamakh got a toe poke and prodded the ball home past Gomes. This was a vintage Arsenal counter attacking goal, one straight out of the Henry-Bergkamp-Pires-Viera era. The goal
was reason enough for the fans to celebrate even before halftime.
Arsenal went into the break with a highly satisfying 2-0 score line and total domination to boot, the derby spoils, it seemed, were destined for the Emirates.
But after the break, everything went wrong, Arsenal’s wall caved in. Arsenal started brightly again with better possession and better football, but Harry had made an inspired substitution in the shape of Jermaine Defoe for Aaron Lennon. And it paid dividends
immediately as spurs played with renewed vigour and a long ball was won by Defoe who headed onto Van Der Vaart who raced further into Arsenals danger area, and as all the defenders at the back surrounded him, he released a cheeky ball to Bale and in a one
on one situation Bale was never going to miss as he knocked the ball home with a sublime finish with the outside of his left boot. It was 2-1 now, the initiative with Spurs, and now it was game on.
And then Arsenal threw it all away with first a needless handball by Cesc Fabregas. He raised his arms as he defended a Van Der Vaart free kick and the ball struck his high arm, there was no way the referee was going to miss that as he awarded the penalty
kick which Van Der Vaart notched expertly.
The comeback, unlike any other, was complete when in the 85th minute Van Der Vaart floated a free kick into the box for Younis Kaboul to head into the back of the net. Spurs were ecstatic, the fans went crazy, Harry Redknapp was visibly euphoric. Nobody
could believe what they had just witnessed. And Arsene Wenger was displeased as he took out his inconsolable anger on a water bottle as he knew his team had failed another home test of utmost importance.
Arsenal could've and probably should've been top of the league if they could only hold on to win the game and it was another opportunity forgone as later in the evening Chelsea tasted defeated to Birmingham City and Manchester United chalked up enough points
to match Chelsea at the top of the table at least in terms of points if not in terms of goal difference. And Arsenal players must be looking at the table thinking they should've been at the top, but the fact remains that their frailties made sure they're not.
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