From left: Arsenal"s Mikaël Silvestre, Cesc Fábregas, Gaël Clichy and Nicklas Bendtner wear shirts ancillary Aaron Ramsey who was unequivocally bad harmed last weekend. Photograph: Tony O"Brien/Action Images
As weeks on the defensive go, this has been an eventful one for Arsène Wenger. As if the Aaron Ramsey damage and all the fiery perspective were not enough, there was the ethereal have a disproportion of Theo Walcott. "No football brain," pronounced Chris Waddle. "Not usually does he have a football brain," retorted Wenger acidly, "he has a brain."
Walcott could have selected no improved approach to appreciate his physical education instructor for his invariable await than the footballing comprehension he showed when Arsenal found themselves in a unsafe on all sides opposite the misfortune travellers in the league.
Burnley had snaffled an equaliser by David Nugent"s opportunism and nerves were on dilemma around the Emirates Stadium. Cesc Fábregas was off the pitch, carrying been cold to helper his hamstring. Nicklas Bendtner was auditioning for his own miss-of-the-season compilation. The care of Sol Campbell was absent. The expostulate of Alex Song was blank by suspension. Arsenal indispensable a favourite to arise from somewhere.
Cometh the hour, cometh Theo. Having enjoyed abounding opportunities to get at Burnley via the game, Walcott found himself in possession, in position, on the right palm side and outward the chastisement area. He motionless to go it alone and cut inside his man, steadied himself and twisted the round past Brian Jensen with a cadence of his left foot.
Walcott"s initial idea for five months was a vicious one. There had been speak prior to the diversion about racking up a scoreline sufficient to go tip of the joining on idea difference, but such was Arsenal"s unusual wastefulness, a slight win was acquire enough. It was usually in the last seconds of blocking time that Andrey Arshavin"s pointed set upon gave them respirating space.
Wenger pronounced afterwards: "We have experienced again currently that each diversion final sum concentration and joining when you fool around opposite teams fighting not to go down."
byGuardian Chalkboards Ealier in the deteriorate Owen Coyle"s slick-passing Burnley frustratedArsenal by maintaining the ball, Brian Laws" Burnley, on the alternative hand,not usually done 51 less passes than Coyle"s group but they played ahigher suit of prolonged balls in to the channelsArsenal had spurned abounding half chances, in a duration their physical education instructor described as "a bit minimalist", by the time they managed to find the aim in the 34th minute. Samir Nasri was fed by Fábregas on the dilemma of the area, speckled his captain"s surge by a flurry of bodies and looped an artistic throw over the scrum. Fábregas arrived right on evidence to sidefoot his 17th idea of the season, nutmegging Jensen for great measure.
It would be the Spaniard"s last poignant contribution, though, as he was replaced prior to the half was out, feeling the injure leg tendon that had cost him a month out the group over Dec and Jan – a lift suffered opposite the same antithesis at Turf Moor. This is certainly a be concerned forward of the Champions League diversion opposite Porto on Tuesday night, nonetheless Wenger did not rught afar order him out.
The opening idea eased a small of the tragedy that had carried over from the Ramsey effect. "In the initial half, it was still in the heads," Wenger said. That was quite clear when Walcott reacted furiously to a plea from Daniel Fox. Brian Laws was not terribly impressed. "He jumps up and pushes the player when the plea was there to be made. You can"t take afar rebellious if it"s satisfactory and honest and Arsenal can"t have it all their own way."
Bendtner"s chances alone should have since Arsenal the domain to go on top of Chelsea on idea difference. The Dane was incompetent to have glorious crosses from Emmanuel Eboué and Walcott count, and a hat-trick of cringeworthy misses was hermetic with an startling appropriate at Walcott"s cut-back. The round careered high in to the stands from close range. There was even time for a integrate some-more miscues prior to he was substituted, seeking particularly red-faced.
Bendtner compounded his nonsense by ball-watching instead of competing for a header in the centre circle. He was knocked about all as well simply by Jack Cork, and the round was arced over probably each player and fell invitingly for Nugent. He bending his shot over the stuck Manuel Almunia and the dilemma of visitors from Lancashire were right afar ecstatic to a land of footballing miracles.
Laws praised his team"s character. "A lot of times the players would have folded but they dug in and responded," he said. "This was never going to be the diversion that decides the on all sides in the Premiership but I have seen positives I will take in to the subsequent dual games." And what consequential games they are, with Stoke and Wolves on vacation Turf Moor.
Wenger was grim-faced at Burnley"s recovery. Of all the players to move a small happiness, it was Walcott who returned the smiles to Arsenal. His idea crowned a 15-minute spell in that he constructed what should have been dual assists, had one fizzing shot on aim and scored.
"I was meddlesome to see how he responded today," Wenger pronounced afterwards. "He does what a player has to do. He did not speak to the newspapers, but did his articulate on the representation and answered his critics usually with his performance. You never know how it will outcome you to be underneath that pressure. But the approach he answered that, at his age, is remarkable."
For critics such as Waddle, Walcott"s sickly opening opposite Egypt referred to time had already run out in conditions of the World Cup. Wenger takes the perspective that Walcott"s deteriorate is usually usually beginning. This was usually his sixth Premier League begin this tenure and he was increasingly effective. Fabio Capello competence not have done up his mind usually yet.
THE FANS" PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICTCHRIS TENNANT, Observer reader We should have done it most some-more gentle than it was. At the end, as usual, we were unequivocally nervous, creation mistakes and removing the throng agitated. That"s what you get when you watch Arsenal. But we scored 3 flattering great goals and Bendtner, for all his vivid misses, was in the right place for all of them. The throng kept entertaining his name, presumably for await or may be not. The difficulty is, he has probably had worse games. Walcott played well, that was great to see, but right afar he has to keep that up in the run-in. A couple of months ago I thought we were going to be scrapping for fourth, but right afar we competence even scrape the league.
The fan"s player ratings Almunia 6; Eboué 7, Vermaelen 7, Silvestre 6, Clichy 6; Fábregas 7 (Diaby 39 7), Denílson 6, Nasri 8; Walcott 8, Bendtner 6 (Eduardo 73 5), Rosicky 6 (Arshavin 61 Six)
ANDREW FIRMIN, LondonClarets.com I unequivocally can"t mount the total Arsenal experience. It"s so waste and artificial, not in any sort of passion. Their throng were horrible today, so quiet. If any one was on foot outward the belligerent they wouldn"t have well known anything was going on. This wasn"t the misfortune afar opening for us. Arsenal played their common null and void things that doesn"t win anything. They try their hardest not to measure by over-complicating matters. To be honest, losing these games will not be the reason for us going down. We didn"t fool around that well. Nugent was great and was aways a hazard and Bendtner was probably the most appropriate defender.
The fan"s player ratings Jensen 7; Mears 6, Carlisle 6, Cort 5, Fox 3; Paterson 6 (Thompson 73 6), Cork 6, Alexander 7 (Bikey 65 4), McDonald 6 (Elliott 53 5), Eagles 6; Nugent 7
TO TAKE PART IN THE FANS" VERDICT, SPORT@OBSERVER.CO.UK
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