Club Focus – Arsenal – The Gunners edge out Ipswich on the way to Wembley
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Arsenal overcame a resolute Ipswich Town to progress to the Carling Cup Final on Tuesday night. In doing so, Arsene Wenger recorded only his second League Cup semi-final victory in six attempts during his lengthy tenure and will hope to go one better in March’s final.
Le Professeur named possibly his strongest ever League Cup side and was ultimately rewarded with a 3-0 victory on the night. Whether the strength of his selection indicated a desire to ensure progression to Wembley at the expense of potential fatigue, or was simply a reaction to the first leg’s lacklustre showing remains to be seen. What is certain is that this season Wenger has far greater strength in depth when compared to recent assaults on March’s showpiece final. Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott provided the ammunition for Robin van Persie against Wigan Athletic, but their respective absences on Tuesday were not significant as Nicklas Bendtner opening the scoring and Andrey Arshavin weighed in with an assist. Denilson was the only other change from Saturday’s winning formula, and his combative presence helped to record a similarly comfortable scoreline.
Despite the tie eventually yielding the predicted winner, the manner of the aggregate victory belied the astronomical pre-match odds placed on Arsenal to progress. Tamas Priskin’s first-leg winner made Tuesday’s tie a tricky proposition, and Gooners fans were beginning to fear the worst as the sides went in goalless at half-time. Two and a half hours of football passed in the tie without an Arsenal goal before Bendtner broke the deadlock on Tuesday. His immaculate control, nimble turn and deft finish proved the catalyst for the Gunners thus misfiring strike force to click into gear. Suddenly, passes went to feet rather than tantalisingly out of reach and pressing without possession yielded the corner that produced the second goal. Even the hopelessly out of form Arshavin showed neat control before perfectly weighting a pass to set up Cesc Fabregas and seal victory and with it a Wembley berth.
The Gunners recorded yet another clean sheet to cast doubts over the perceived need for reinforcement in the centre of defence. The latest shutout meant that Arsenal have recorded four clean sheets in their last seven games, incorporating four consecutive clean sheets in the league. These statistics appear set to persuade the frugal Wenger to refrain from signing a reinforcement in the January transfer window. The manager appears to have planned around not making a signing: “The first option is to put Alex Song there if needed,” and whilst this is clearly an option, it would break up the blossoming central midfield partnership that has been the key to the Gunners’ success so far this term.
Having previously cited his preference to sign players in the summer, the current lack of manpower appears insufficient to force a change of opinion. News that Sebastien Squillaci is expected to be available for Sunday’s FA Cup tie with Huddersfield Town appears to once and for all quash the potential of a defensive signing.
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