Arsenal's Ox Stuns Palace

Article by e-Arsenal Correspondent Devraj Höm Roy

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Alright then! Tony Pulis brought his team imbued with thuggery to the Emirates with the hope that they could get something to help them in the relegation dogfight. Too bad that his new team lacked the likes of Ryan “break-bone” Shawcross.

To be honest, the game was won even before it began. After we dropped points at Southampton, dropping points against a relegation contending team at home was unfathomable.. this season at least. But then this is football and the English Premier League, so what do we naive folks know? The first half was pretty much what has been typically Arsenal of late. Pretty patterns and lopsided possession but without really bothering the opposite no.1. Come to think of it, this could be a cunning Wenger tactic to make the opponents so bored that they fall into a trance and we can they blitz our way to through them. Or maybe not, against teams like City, Chelsea, Liverpool and the likes.

So, apart from an outrageous Cazorla first touch and control followed resulting in nothing and a brilliant Ozil over-the-top pass to Monreal, which he could only hit straight at (S)peroni, there was nothing much to get excited about. Ohh yeah, our old boy Chamakh did a cryuff turn to get past Koscielny only to take a heavy touch and let Szczesny take the ball. Looking like nothing had changed in the world, we went into half-time at 0-0.

The second half began with a much faster tempo from the hosts. There were quick and zippy passes and movements of the likes of Cazorla, Ozil and Chambo, who were confusing the Palace defense. One could feel that a goal was due anytime... and due it was! Cazorla slipped a brilliant over-the-top pass to Chamberlain who escaped the attentions of Chamakh to make a surging run into the box. The Ox took two touches, one to control it brilliantly and the other to calmly dink it over Speroni, to make it 1-0. Brilliant assist, control and finish.

The Ox still had unfinished work to do as he created a one-two with Giroud, who did brilliantly to hold the ball up and draw away the defenders, as Chambo surged his way in he drilled past Speroni a low shot into the bottom corner! Welcome back THE OX! We missed you! What a lad!

The game ended with the Eagles hardly making us work. The only worry at the end was Arteta limping. That could be a massive worry with Flamini off for two more games and the enigmatic Kim rehabilitating his perpetual injury!

Chamberlain had a pulled muscle towards the end but the gaffer allayed the fears by dismissing it as minor cramps.

Wenger, at the post-match interview ,shed light on the Kallstrom injury debacle by saying,

“First of all it’s very difficult to identify a player, who can come in, of that stature and then we made a medical (check) of his back and we found out he had a little micro-fracture. We have all played with micro-fractures. Then Spartak Moscow accepted to share the costs –as long as he’s injured they will pay – and we had a decision to make”.

While this doesn't sound blasphemous, the same cannot be said of what he had to say when asked “Did you think about pulling out of the deal?”. He replied,

“Yes of course it crossed my mind (to pull out of the deal). I would not have signed him if we had two or three more days to do something, but it was Friday night at five o’clock, so it was a case of you sign nobody or you do it under these conditions. I decided to do it because we might, because of the number of games we have now in February, need the players in March or April.”

The fact that we knew since the beginning of the January transfer window that we needed a body in the middle and a striker and now to hear Wenger cry about the lack of time on the final day is hilarious to put it mildly. The absolute shambles that the Club has managed to turn the winter transfer window into, can come back to haunt us pretty badly.

Till then, let us just keep the faith in the old dictum, “In Arsene we trust!”. Everyone who dons the red and white jersey demands our support and we will give them that. Come to think of it, I supported and rooted for Silvestre too (Psstt.. This stays between us).

Finally a shout out to all the Palace fans. In all probability, they already knew that they would not get anything out of this game but they kept their voices and never died away. Kudos for creating a fantastic atmosphere. Epicness!

That's it then lovely people. Have a great few days till we are back again on the pitch for a really difficult period.

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