THIS OUGHT to be Arsenal’s time. There was a credible opportunity to take the title before their trip to White Hart Lane on Wednesday. If the bookmakers had been sceptical it must have been because of their assessment of Arsene Wenger’s team, rather than the arithmetic of the Premier League.
They were correct, but had Arsenal beaten Tottenham Hotspur, as they so often have, the stress would have been on Chelsea and Manchester United, who have taxing away fixtures tomorrow.
Instead, Arsenal backed away from the opportunity and lost 2-1. Robin van Persie’s 22 minutes on the field, following a five-month absence with an ankle ligament injury, were enthralling, but he also shamed those who had failed to make an impression. The others ought to have been ready to flourish since they are accustomed to his unavailability.
Arsenal will be in difficulties if there is any fixation with the Dutchman. He was involved in 44 of his club’s matches last season but the statistic gives a false impression of his durability. Setting aside that campaign, Van Persie’s participation has declined year after year. In 2004-’05, he appeared in 40 games. By 2007-’08, the number was down to 23 – at most it will be 21 this season. For the good of the side and the entertainment value of the Premier League, it is to be hoped that Van Persie regains his resilience, but it would be rash of Wenger to count on it.
The manager went a shade too far at White Hart Lane when virtually writing off Arsenal’s prospects of the title but his subdued tone was understandable. After all, United and Chelsea have to falter if Wenger is to be granted hope. At the Arsenal agm in the autumn of last year his optimism about taking a trophy had been more than the obligatory effort to pander to the audience. He really did sound as if an upsurge for the club was imminent.
Much as people dwell on the comparative frugality Arsenal are, to a degree, in better shape than their competitors. The debts incurred while building the Emirates Stadium are not to be compared with those of Manchester United, which reflect the cost of the Glazers’ takeover. Liverpool are burdened in a comparable way. The situation at Chelsea is more complicated but some of the better players are showing their age and there are clear signs of wear and tear taking its toll on John Terry.
This had been a moment of high promise for Wenger, particularly since the Spurs team was much altered after a tough two hours on Sunday, when Portsmouth beat them in their FA Cup semi-final. Having lost to Chelsea and United, Arsenal were on the verge of making good the damage across their Premier League programme. Even if the title was ultimately to elude them a sense of promise would have stayed with them over the summer.
Arsenal had also been wasteful with earlier opportunities to build morale. In view of their lack of silverware since the 2005 FA Cup, it was perverse not to aim for that prize again. When submitting a team-sheet featuring an odd assortment of names for the tie at Stoke in January, Arsenal handed over a document of surrender.
Such an approach could only have been vindicated if the club had contended fiercely for the League title at places such as White Hart Lane.
Guardian Service
