Gunners end season on a high as the Potters melt
The sun did indeed shine at the Emirates. Normally we start shakily, sometimes even giving the opposition a headstart. Not yesterday however, we scored 4 inside 45 minutes and Stoke were thoroughly demolished.
To put perspective on this result however, Stoke were safe and virtually had nothing to play for apart from the possibility of more prize money if they finished in 11th position instead of 12th. The intensity that the Potters needed to achieve a positive result was evidently missing and such was the dominance of Arsenal that Stoke could have achieved their biggest defeat of the season.
We started the season playing a promoted team in West Brom and ended the season playing a promoted team in Stoke. Whilst we ended up limping to a 1-0 win over the Baggies, Stoke were dismantled within 45 minutes. The call for better support at home games was also answered yesterday as fans clearly showed their support for Wenger.
Against the Baggies in the first game of the season, we were hesitant, nervous and fans and players expected our opponents to crumble without much pressure. This will simply not happen unless we as a club do everything we can to intimidate our opponents. Arsenal will definitely be better as a result of the experience gained from 2008-09.
I wanted Djourou and Song to start but in the end Wenger decided to stick with Toure and song who were impressive at Old Trafford. Diaby somehow got the nod ahead of Ramsey, Vela, Bendtner etc but justified his selection with a good header that made it 3-0 to Arsenal.
Van Persie led the line well and his finish for his second goal was clinical as they come. He really needs to sign that contract now as Arsenal have stuck by him when he spent more time in the treatment room than on the pitch. Now he needs to repay that loyalty if not for the fans sake but the staff at Arsenal who have helped a great deal in making him the player he is.
Since the game was not deemed important enough, highlights of this game was further condensed. Looking at the starting XI, it looked like Theo started up front again as he did against Chelsea. He didn’t score and unlike the idea of playing Diaby on the left which most Gunners dislike to say the least, we quite relish the prospect of Theo playing as a striker and becoming the goal scoring machine we dream about.
Dreaming is all we can do for now as this season has now finished. But it all begins again within 12 weeks or so. Cue a summer of endless transfer speculations to beat the boredom. I suppose there is the Confederations Cup which starts in less than 3 weeks time. Champions from every continent and New Zealand to take part in South Africa. Exciting, no?
