Arsenal are third after winning 2-1 at Palace.
With 12 games left, they’ve jumped above Manchester United.
On Friday I said Arsenal’s next proper game is United.
If so, bring it on!
On the four matches before that FA Cup tie on Monday, March 9, I said that all of them were negotiable & winnable.
Writing that, I gave myself four chances to be wrong, four chances to look stupid:
Crystal Palace will be harder than Monaco at the Emirates, which follows Saturday’s League game at Selhurst Park. But Arsenal are playing well enough to beat Palace by one goal and they also have the firepower to beat Everton on Sunday, March 1st.
On the day, Arsenal were a bit jammy because the assists by Danny Welbeck were dodgy.
On the penalty, the first contact was outside the box. Never a penalty in my book but Clattenberg gave it and Cazorla slotted his sixth pen of the season.
Welbeck’s run into the box was just offside but the flag didn’t go up because it was a very difficult call for the linesman.
When Welbeck’s shot was parried, Giroud knocked it in for 2-0.
Arsenal then conceded a scrambled goal from a corner, stabbed in by Glenn Murray, who then missed a glaring chance with a header that hit the post.
Since the hard-grafting Coquelin came into centre midfield, Arsenal have been much more likely to dig out results like this.
In the overall context of the weekend, that 2-1 win turned out to be priceless because three of their rivals dropped points.
Spurs could only draw 2-2 with West Ham after a Harry Kane goal in stoppage time.
On a wet and windy day in Southampton, referee Kevin Friend decided to try to keep eleven 22 men on the pitch in the slippery conditions.
He let a lot go, gaiving almost everyone the benefit of the doubt.
Coutinho struck hard and early, firing a 30-yard shot in off the underside of Fraser Forster’s crossbar.
One of the finest goals of the season by the tiny Brazilian.
Despite Liverpool’s lack of service to Raheem, who was restored to lead the attack, they led 1-0 at half-time.
By 63, Wanyama was booked for a foul on Raheem and ten minutes later Moreno played a one-two with the kid and crossed low into the box. Matt Targett, slipping, miskicked his clearance to Raheem, who sidefooted in off the unsighted Forster.
A vital victory for Liverpool but, like Arsenal, they had a fair slice of luck.
West Ham would have won 2-1 at Spurs if the idiotic Song hadn’t shoved down Harry Kane in the box in stoppage time. Kane could not have got to that ball.
The excellent Adrian read Kane\’s penalty and made an electrifying save low to his right but happy Harry banged in the loose ball for his 25th goal of the season for 2-2.
Big disappointment for Tottenham but it could have been worse for them.
23rd February 2015