A disgusted Arsene Wenger has just left the Emirates Stadium pitch seeing his team face a 1-0 deficit on Peter Crouch's 42nd minute goal. He has every reason to be livid thanks to poor efforts on both ends of the field, with Arsenal missing a host of opportunities to strike (Nicolas Bendtner in particular hammering a free ball straight at the goalkeeper from 12 yards out), and a defensive lapse leading to the Crouch finish.
Wenger has pulled everything out of his bag of tricks trying to get this team back in form, but it's evident that he acknowledges that the Champions League has to become the priority, being that it is the only competition in which the Gunners are performing well at the moment. A disappointing 1-4-1 run in league play has seen the London side drop to 3rd in the EPL table, and they face a tough test in Liverpool again Tuesday night at Anfield in the return leg of a semifinal which Wenger's men trail on away goals (1-1 result at the Emirates in the middle of last week). Players such as Justin Hoyte are making rare appearances in the Arsenal starting 11 today as Wenger rests the big guns for the 3rd (and more vital given Arsenal's terrible league form) meeting with the Reds in 8 days.
UPDATE: Arsenal have struck back on 54 minutes, and clearly Arsene Wenger feels there's something to be said about the Gunners' challenge for the league title as Emmanuel Adebayor is set to come on and provide a spark to the Arsenal attack!
UPDATE 2: FINAL SCORE... LIVERPOOL 1-1 ARSENAL. Arsenal strikes back on 54 minutes, but introductions of big name players (Arsenal: Adebayor, Hleb; Liverpool: Voronin, Torres) could not entice a winner out of either side. Arsenal slumps to 1-5-1 in it's last 7 league matches with a second 1-1 decision with Liverpool in the week. The two sides will meet again in 3 days at Anfield to decide who advances to the semifinals of the Champions League (Liverpool ahead on away goals 1-1).
Saturday, April 5, 2008
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