A toothless performance from Arsene Wenger’s gunners saw them fall to a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of an efficient AC Milan.
Arsenal went to the San Siro with hopes of re-enacting their 0-2 victory against the Italian outfit back in 2008- seeing them become the first English team to gain victory over AC Milan on home soil.
However, tonight’s performance was a far cry from that night in March. Milan picked the fragile Arsenal defence to pieces with surprising ease and left a huge question mark over where the stuttering London outfit go from here. It was Henry’s last game for Arsenal before his departure back to MLS side New York Bulls, and a game he will surely want to forget with haste. He came on as a substitute at the start of the second half for the ineffective Theo Walcott and although made a more positive impact, could not lift Arsenals spirits.
They started the game sloppy, conceding possession within the first four minutes that almost gifted Kevin Prince Boateng a goal and a dream start for the Milan outfit. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a key figure throughout the game, linking well with the midfield and his other front two strike partners Boetang and ex- city star Robinho. Tonight he showcased his talent and earned his reputation as one of Europe’s top strikers. He was involved on some level in almost every attack AC Milan made, and, having scored in every one of his Champions League games so far, he was a player the Arsenal back four needed to keep tabs on.
However, it turned out Arsenal needed to keep tabs on their own performance before that of their opponents, giving away possession far too easily and looking nervous, and cagey throughout the opening stages. This was not good enough from a team labelled at the “Barcelona of the premier league” with their normally silky passing moves linking defence and attack and one touch football. It took just fourteen minutes for Milan to break the deadlock- and it had been coming. A poor goal kick from Szcznesny came to the feet of the gleeful Antonio Nocerino and he lifted the ball over the Arsenal defence for Boateng to control it beautifully with his chest and brought it down to smash his shot past the flailing Arsenal goalkeeper and into the net off the underside of the crossbar. A player often criticised during his spell at Spurs, there was no doubting his talent for this fantastic goal. Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs was nowhere to be seen and Milan enjoyed roaming down that left wing almost at will and sent in an array of worrying crosses and shots from that side of the field.
Toward the end of the first half Arsenal gained more possession and started to settle into the game however. though it was almost a full twenty minutes before they managed to get the ball to the feet of their talismanic striker Robin Van Perise, who was hopelessly isolate at the front and had to resort to dropping deep and moving out of position just to get a look in on the action, Milan’s well drilled centre halves had him well under observation all night, Mexes particularly having a bright game. Van Persie’s only real contribution of the first half was a lovely floating free kick from roughly thirty five yards out which found Koscielny’s head with pin-point accuracy but he could only direct into the safe gloves of AC keeper Abbiati.
the fragility of the Arsenal defence showed again when Szcszney and centre-half Tomas Vermaillen almost let Ibrahimovic put his side further ahead when they get mixed up over who was going to perform the routine clearance due to poor communication, both dwelled too long waiting for the other to come without issuing clear instructions and the giant Swede nipped past Vermaillen and only had Szcznesny to beat until the Polish international keeper made a smart interception to deny him, both striker and goalkeeper taking a few knocks in the process.
these where worrying signs and things only got worse when an extremely marginally off-side Ibrahimovic caused yet more trouble by getting in behind the Arsenal back four on the right and burst down the flank leaving the labouring Song for dust. he then cut in and even had the time to slow, look up, pick his target, roll an extra foot over the ball and pick out a peach of a cross straight to the unmarked Robhino who made no mistake my showing the Premier League exactly what it’s missing by planting a firm confident header past the Arsenal keep and into the far corner of the net on the left just six yards out from goal.
With still no attacking potency, things where not looking good for Arsenal. and their problems where compounded when probably their best player in the pitch, Laurent Koscielny, picked up an leg injury and had to soldier on until the break when he was replaced by Arsenal regular Johan Djourou and Henry made his farewell appearance.
The gunners came shot out of the blocks and managed to create a few decent chances before conceding sloppy possession yet again and lost another goal by the deadly Robhino. As if his first goal wasn’t good enough, he collected the ball on the edge of the box, ran parallel with goal losing his marker and fired of a snap shot that smashed into the bottom right-hand corner and left Szcznesny completely helpless. Arsenals spirits, looking to be as fragile as their defence, collapsed and AC continued to dominate the midfield- the gunners’ trio Arteta, Ramsey and Song being forced out of the game completely. though arsenal had a shade more of the possession than Milan, it re-enforces the argument that it’s not how much you see of the ball, it’s what you do when you have it. AC Milan where more than happy to attack on the break and looked capable of rolling the ball into the back of the net every time they did so.
However it wasn’t all defending for Arsenal, they created the best chance of the night when the icon that is Thierry Henry is fed by Alex Song and in turn teed up the quiet Robin Van Persie whose snap shop was turned around the post by the rarely tested Milan keeper.
With just under half an hour to go, Wenger made an attacking substitution and brought on the bright spark Oxlade-Chaimberlain for the largely anonymous Kieran Gibbs. Chamberlain did himself proud, chasing the ball, harrying the opponent when they had possession and making those surging runs when he got the ball, however he was unable to carry the team on his own and things turned from a convincing defeat to complete catastrophe when Arsenal conceded an obvious penalty on the seventy fourth minute.
The inspired Ibrahimovic skipped into the box and was met by Djourou, as he tried so manoeuvre round him Djourou threw in a late tackle and caught the Sweden international. Football players in that part of the world do not need to be told to got down twice and Ibrahimovic hit the deck and the referee had no qualms in pointing straight to the spot a the dismay of the gunners faithful. Ibrahimovic took the penalty himself and slotted it low under the diving Szcznesny who chose the right way and sealed the fate of the underwhelming Londoners. Although Arsenal finished the second half the stronger team much likely did in the first half, this was a very uninspiring performance and one that will open yet more discussion and shine more light on the goings on in the Emirates camp.
there was no doubt this was a crushing blow for everyone associated with the club, and unless they can pull off a miracle at the return leg, there will be much backlash on the young squad who seem to fold wen it matters. when the full time whistle went the poisonous whispers of Wenger needing to vacate his management position filled the air and the internet and with the fans becoming increasingly frustrated and out spoken about their unhappiness, this will only get worse for the veteran Frenchman.
The only place Arsenal can really go from here is to try by any means to retain he creative genius Thierry Henry for another few months. him and Chamberlain where the only two creative cogs in the Arsenal machine tonight, and Ivory Coast international Gervinho is no viewed by many as a decent replacement for the French international. All they can do now is focus on the league, and maintain their priority of Champions League qualification for next season. This is probably the best gunners can hope for, but for their manager, it highlights his blatant failure to compensate for the high quality players that departed over the summer and strengthen in defence where they are crying out for a competent defender. Sure, Arsene Wenger is known to be stubborn and short sighted in other people’s opinions at times but he would not risk everything he has built in his fourteen year tenure by not adequate replacements.
Now it is Chelsea who are the only English club representing England in Europe’s elite with a real chance of progressing through to the next round. However, with a tricky tie to Napoli next Tuesday, this will make for an interesting outcome. The repercussions on English footballs reputation would be massively detrimental if all the teams fail in Europe.
In his pre-match interview, Arsene Wenger calmly looked at the interviewer and spoke; “we are pretenders, but we want to be contenders”
You can pretend all you like Mr. Wenger, but the only thing you are really contending with thus far is the demise of the team and the vision you yourself have built. It is not too late quite yet, but time is running thin.
