For a while it looked like it was going to be an off day for the Gunners. They went behind to a stunning drive from Landzaat after 35 minutes and it took just under an hour for Arsenal to conjure the equaliser.
I've got a feeling that Wigan will buck their recent trend of underachievement and put in a tough, workmanlike performance. Arsenal will have to respond in kind to their passion and work rate because it really would be unthinkable to drop points in this game.
It seems as though no team ever rolls over and dies when they play Arsenal and Wigan probably did enough to deserve a point. They were denied a penalty when Flamini was caught in no man's land and pulled Heskey to the ground but Adebayor was denied a goal for off-side that wasn't. I guess these things even out over the course of the season but the visitors left feeling hard done by.
What Arsenal Need: Arsenal need to crush Wigan's spirit early on by scoring in the first twenty minutes because the longer the game remains scoreless the better for the visitors.
The visitors took the game to Arsenal who didn't respond with the vigour the crowd would have liked and to be honest ot was nail biting stuff right to the final whistle.
Wigan will use every deadball situation to put pressure on the Arsenal goal and the Gunners will need to work hard to maintain a clean sheet. Arsenal need to avoid going a goal down at all costs as their recent run of come-from-behind wins is soon to run out.
Wigan started the game with the intention of slowing it down. They insited in wasting time over every set piece, goal kick and throw in. Once they scored the tacics worsened if that seems possible and Lehmann was booked in the kast minutes for a sarcastic impression of Kirkland who miraculously survived the match without being booked.
Things To Watch Out For: I'm looking for Rosicky to continue his recent improvement and equally I will be watching young Clichy with interest. I believe the young Frenchman is Arsenal's most improved player of the season. He has replaced the former left back seamlessly and offers similar amounts of energy to his former team mate.
Clichy was the outstanding player on the pitch in my opinion. His tackling was ruthless and his running up and down the left flank looked effortless. Rosicky had a good game too and took some of the creative responsibility off Fabregas who struggled through the ninety minutes with a niggling knee problem.
Hopes For The Match: Arsenal cannot afford any more injuries with the FA Cup replay at Bolton and a potential home match against Blackburn looming on the horizon. In particular there is no depth in the defence and little in the midfield, so fingers crossed that all the boys finish the match in good shape.
Djourou was bought off with a broken nose but apart from that the Gunners finished the match unscathed.
Team Selection: There is very little to choose from for this game. The back four pick themselves as they are the only four who could fill the roles. Henry could partner Adebayor up front but if Wenger were to rest the young striker then Baptista would play instead.
Adebayor started the match on the bench and Baptista took his place and set up the winning goal with an accurate cross for Rosicky to head home the winner.
Rosicky, Gilberto and Fabregas are some of the first names on the team sheet and so the only choice to be made is who plays on the right wing. Walcott will probably fill the void left by the injured Hleb and Ljungberg and he needs to put in a solid performance as Denilson and Aliadiere are positioned to put pressure on him.
Flamini replaced Hoyte late on whilst Aliadiere took the field when Walcott was removed.
| My team selection for this game: Henry, Adebayor Rosicky, Gilberto,Fabregas, Walcott Clichy, Senderos, Toure, Hoyte Lehmann Subs: Almunia, Diaby, Flamini, Baptista, Aliadiere Aliadiere |
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Unavailable: Gallas, Ljungberg, Eboue, Senderos, van Persie, Hleb
Long-term issues: I am concerned with the quality of refereeing in the Premiership. It seems as though the only sport in the world that suffers from inefficient refereeing is football. Fans spend just as much time talking about poor refereeing decisions than they do about the sport itself.
The fact that eight players were booked in a game that was wholly unremarkable is embarrassing. Toure's booking was laughable and I would argue that he was only booked because the referee failed to offer Wigan the advantage.
Prediction: Arsenal 2 Wigan 0
Score: Arsenal 2 Wigan 1
