I wish they threw hats on the field, like in hockey. Pic via Daily Mail.
Arsenal 3: van Persie 21, 58, 85
Wigan Athletic 0
Due to some of the performances we've seen from this team this season, it always feels like it's a question of "which Arsenal team is going to show up this time?" Then again, this is probably the first time all season that the Gunners have a starting XI that are clicking as a unit and are playing a fantastic run of football. It's a run of form that you hope lasts forever, like something you're really careful around so as to not ruin it. On Saturday, Arsenal continued their dominant run of form with a one-sided thrashing of Wigan Athletic that could not have been more satisfying. And thanks to City's loss at Villa, Arsenal slip back up into second place, though they remain still two points back and a game behind.
It was Arsenal's A Team outfield ten that were at it again in this match. Wojciech Szczeny continued his run in goal over the injured Lukasz Fabianski. The outfield ten were the same as they have been for five of the last six Premier League matches, with Sagna and Clichy at full back, Koscielny and Djourou at center back, Song and Wilshere in the middle, Fabregas as the playmaker, Nasri on the left wing, Walcott on the right, and van Persie up top.
For the record, I'd like this side to start Tuesday too, in the League Cup semi-final second leg, because it's a must win. If Arsene Wenger wants to rotate, do it Sunday against Huddersfield Town. That's wishful thinking though, I'm sure there'll be some changes on Tuesday. I just hope it's no more than three or four.
Arsenal were flying from the start and Wigan had no answer for Arsenal's control of the ball in midfield. They did, however, have an answer in goal for all of Arsenal's early pressure in Ali Al-Habsi. The Omani goalkeeper, on loan from Bolton, was brilliant in keeping Arsenal off the board in the early going, making a few world class saves to keep a clean sheet going through twenty minutes. Al-Habsi made save after save against the likes of Fabregas, van Persie, Walcott, and Nasri that it started to feel like the draw with City did earlier this month. Waste too many chances and you could find yourself playing out a frustrating 0-0.
But, in the 21st minute, Arsenal got on the board after the Dutchman broke Wigan's offside trap and proceeded forward one-on-one with Al-Habsi, then pounded a left footed shot through the goalkeeper's legs. Arsenal deserved the goal and it had been coming. They just could not get a second before halftime. The most frustrating moment came with Walcott clear through on goal before he elected to pass it off to Fabregas instead of shooting, giving Wigan's defense just enough time to track back and tackle the Spaniard to win the ball back.
We at the pub talked at halftime about the obviousness of needing that second goal, pretty much deciding that if it didn't come by the 50th or 55th minute, the match would stay a little too nerve wracking. We've seen Wigan pull back goals against us before quite late in matches, and recently to boot. And when Wigan came out for the second half, making two substitutions, it looked like they might have had an equalizer in them. Maybe for about ten minutes... In the 58th, Arsenal scored that second goal, and boy, was it a brilliant one. Cesc Fabregas floated an over the top ball into the box which was met clinically by the left boot of van Persie, who thundered a volley into the roof of the net. Absolute top class goal and Arsenal had their second just before the hour mark.
Now, it was time to start thinking about getting RVP his first hat trick in England. He had scored twice in matches nine times, but the hat trick had always eluded hime. It finally looked like it was coming when Gary Caldwell conceded a penalty by taking down Fabregas in the box in the 69th, being sent off for a professional foul in the process. Wigan claimed the call was harsh and that Fabregas dived; I thought there was contact, but it wasn't a clear cut call. van Persie stepped up for the spot kick, with the perfect chance to pick up the hat trick, then fired it high over the bar and into Row Z.
We then joked, "he just wants to score a fancier goal for the hat trick later." Then, he pretty much did. The hat trick finally came for van Persie in the 85th. Fabregas's through ball found Theo Walcott, who possessed around the goalkeeper for just long enough to allow van Persie the chance to fire it home with his right foot. Hat trick complete. Three-nil to the Arsenal.
Since their loss at Ipswich, Arsenal have scored three goals in each of their last three matches, and Robin van Persie has scored six of those nine goals. Arsenal have kept four straight clean sheets in league play. An in-form van Persie playing in front of an in-form Cesc Fabregas is a dream situation for Arsenal to be in, the type that is starting to look like it can bring glory back to the good, red parts of North London very soon.
On that note, this team is a goal down, but 90 minutes away from a Wembley final. Ipswich may want to park the bus in front of the goal and sit on that lead, but there's a difference between Ipswich parking the bus and a side like Manchester City parking the bus. With the right, in-form line-up on the pitch Tuesday, Arsenal should have the creativity, quality, and skill to force that bus into a number of defensive errors. This team is so close to getting somewhere, they just can't start to falter again. I can't wait until the day I'm finally capable of setting those doubts aside in my mind.
Hipster Gooner Man of the Match: Robin van Persie
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