1) Arsenal did it the hard way, but have qualified for the Champions League for the 15th consecutive season. After our worst start in 58 years, selling Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, losing Jack Wilshere for the whole season through injury, losing to Blackburn, Wigan, QPR, Swansea and Fulham, losing 8-2 to United at old Trafford, and with no fullbacks for about 6 weeks, we still finished above Spurs. I think that Spurs had (by their standards) a pretty good season – just how bad are they???
2) Martin Fulop is clearly an Arsenal fan. Fulopgate is about to become the new lasagnagate as Spurs fans complain about how dodgy goalkeeping yesterday afternoon gifted us the Champions League. Ben Foster had featured in all of the previous 37 league games for West Brom, but was forced to sit out due to injury, so Fulop made his first league appearance of the season. The Hungary international failed to make any effort to clear the ball, allowing Benayoun to go round him and tap into an empty net, and then somehow punched from a corner towards his own goal. Make no mistake, Arsenal’s performance was pretty awful and I have absolutely no idea how we won.
3) Arsenal’s defensive problems continue as we conceded 2 or more goals for the 13th time this season. The Gunners let in 49 goals over the duration of the season, which is more than we have ever conceded in a single league campaign under Arsène Wenger. Of course, the statistics contain a certain anomalous result (apparently we got beaten badly at Old Trafford?), so it’s not as terrible as at first glance, but I don’t think that anybody can argue that our defence has been particularly solid this season. The fact that we played for long periods with full-backs cannot have helped, but Wenger should have bought (or loaned!!) some cover in January.
4) Robin van Persie won the Premier League Golden Boot but did not beat the record of 31 goals in a 38-game Premier League season. Robin’s goal-scoring dropped a bit towards the end of the season, but nobody can deny how important he has been for the club this year. Our captain is set to have contract talks with Arsene Wenger this week (before he joins the Netherlands at their Euro 2012 training camp), so lets just hope that he is still an Arsenal player in a few months time.
5) Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Jack Marshall Brain Tumor Fund were also winners. Piers Morgan donated £10,000 to GOSH after he lost a bet with Samir Nasri that Arsenal would win a major trophy before the Frenchman, while any Spurs fans following Jack Wilshere owe him £1 because of a bet made all the way back in November. Moragn clearly doesn’t understand how bets work though, because he donated to his own charity, not Nasri’s…
Let’s face it, we only finished third because of Fulop. And I’m not trying to be pessimistic but Jack only offered three grand, it didn’t exactly reek of confidence. Unless RVP signs the new contract, we’re destined for another disappointing season.
one thing i learned is that Wenger needs to go because i’ve had enough of him.
Admittedly I am a die-hard Spurs fan since 1961 but being an international fan I have no feeling of animosity towards Arsenal and I still believe their highly impressive achievement of 2004 will not be equaled for many years to come even though they could not add the Champions League title with that invincible team. However, I do find the proposal bet made by Jack Wilshere back in November as a risky forecast based on the evidence we have witnessed particularly the performance of the WBA goalkeeper, Martin Fulop, who few years back was on Tottenham’s books. My point is that if, and this is a big if, Fulop’s performance was questionable then it was due to his sensitivities towards WHL rather than his favoritism towards the Emirates.
Take out the OT 8-2 and we’re still over 40 goals conceded which is ridiculously terrible for a top 4 team. Our only saving grace was the fact that we were the 3rd highest scorers in the league but the best form of defense is not a good attack. The best form of defense is a good defense and defense wins championships, offense wins games.
We did not manage third place because of Martin Fulop’s howlers. we won enough games before to only need 3 points on the day. if we trace back,we should realise that we lost to wigan because Arteta picked up an injury. subsequent games we harder in his absence. well played arsenal. we won ugly.