Arsenal 4 Wigan Athletic 0: Goal machine Vermaelen is double trouble

20 September 2009 01:22
[LNB]On a drowsy afternoon at the Emirates, two vastly different football teams went through their predictable paces. Arsenal revealed most of their old, familiar shortcomings, yet still came home in a yawning canter. [LNB]Wigan demonstrated why theirs will be a long and painfully unrewarding season. So mundane was the fare, so predictable the outcome, that even the Arsenal fans were trooping away before the close, content with the goals and the points if not the performance. Indeed, the only person with reason to remember proceedings was Arsenal's Belgian centre-back Thomas Vermaelen, who added two goals to the European goal he scored on Wednesday.[LNB] Kneesy does it: Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue celebrates after scoring[LNB]The managers always tell us that goals are goals, and they really don't mind where they come from, and Arsene Wenger did not disappoint last night. But, given overwhelming territorial advantage and possession, the Arsenal manager might have expected a good deal more from his attacking forces.[LNB]Instead, he was given a reprise of ancient faults, with his players attempting to score the perfect goal. It was not until 15 seconds from the end of normal time, when Cesc Fabregas knocked in Nicklas Bendtner's driven cross from a couple of yards that Arsenal's execution adequately matched the planning which preceded it.[LNB] Flying leap: Vermaelen outjumps the Wigan rearguard to give Arsenal the lead[LNB] [LNB]Wenger made some small attempt to preserve his status as north London's resident curmudgeon by complaining about the number of fouls Wigan gave away. But his heart wasn't in it, since the contest had been so patently unequal.[LNB]Yet if Arsenal could leave us relatively underwhelmed despite scoring four goals, what does that say of Wigan? The answer is all too obvious. Their manager, Roberto Martinez, was commendably candid.[LNB]  He confessed that his team had been overawed, that they needed to acquire that touch of arrogance which would allow them to compete. In fact, they needed a good deal more than arrogance, for they defended ineptly, attacked without conviction and gave not a hint that they possessed either the wit or the organisation to negotiate the perils which await them.[LNB]Even their loyalists seem filled with foreboding. There was the merest spattering of Wigan fans in their allotted corner of the stadium.[LNB]It was a reminder that a recession is biting, match tickets are expensive and people tend to think twice before travelling the length of the country in order to watch their team receive a routine battering. Somewhere in that little clump of data, there lurks a lesson for the Premier League. You may be sure that they will not learn it.[LNB]Martinez admitted his side were a disappointment. 'We were very poor,' he said. 'That was not our style at all. We did not get anywhere near the Arsenal players in the first half. Our starting position was wrong and there was a lack of belief. We are not normally a defensive side, but we had a slow start and that was the reason for our performance. I cannot not take any positives from the performance - or the lack of it.'[LNB] Blue and white wall: Cesc Fabregas sees his free kick deflected[LNB]There was little enough for Wigan to celebrate. For the opening 25 minutes, Arsenal went to work slickly and unproductively. They then posted the simplest of goals. From a Fabregas corner, Vermaelen jumped highest and met the header with intent. He seemed genuinely surprised by the outcome.[LNB]For his colleagues, it was a case of watching the half-chances pass by. Emmanuel Eboue, Robin van Persie, the beavering Eduardo, all squandered opportunities to bury Wigan beyond recall. So much so, that they went in only a goal to the good, leaving Wigan scope for dreams.[LNB]But even the dreams were rendered unrealistic five minutes into the second half, when Vermaelen scored again. Bringing the ball out of defence, he played a short pass to Eboue, received the return and swept it beyond Chris Kirkland.[LNB]Having started poorly, Wigan grew far worse. In 59 minutes, Hugo Rodallega was allowed free run on goal after Alex Song had been caught in possession. The chance was listlessly frittered, then Arsenal renewed their attack at temperate pace, Eduardo struck a cross against the base of a post but was allowed to gather the rebound in a crowded box. His shot took a decisive rebound off Eboue, and Arsenal were far beyond pursuit.[LNB]There was a suggestion that Eboue had celebrated in front of the Wigan fans. In truth, he would have done well to find them. So there was time for Fabregas to devour the cross for the fourth. But there was no time for illusion to take root. Arsenal had been no better than they needed to be. Poor Wigan had been a great deal worse. [LNB] Arsenal v Wigan: The action as it happenedHow Emmanuel Eboue turned the jeers to cheers at Arsenal Brady bunch: Liam masterminds the future but Arsenal memories linger on ARSENAL FC

Source: Daily_Mail