Three minutes deep into injury time a title contending team scored a goal that enabled them to grab al three points and keep their title dreams alive. That title contending team is Arsenal.
We will not know for another couple of months how important that winner that from Nicklas Bendtner will prove to be, but tonight Arsenal are right there in the title race because of it. Bendtner, who missed chance after chance last week against Burnley has now scored four goals this week and 9 of the season, making him Arsenal’s third top scorer this season..
The trip to Hull was never going to be easy. Hull is deep in a relegation battle, so you knew that they would compete hard for every ball for the full 90 minutes. In short, this is the type of team that Arsenal has struggled against over the last two or three years. But since the loss away to Sunderland earlier this season, this Arsenal team has grown up. Now games that might have been draws are becoming wins. These young gunners are growing up right under our eyes. Arsenal may or may not win the title this season, but this is an Arsenal team that will compete for an win major trophies over the next two or three years. The maturation process of this team is nearing completion.
This was a huge win psychologically for the Gunners and Arsene Wenger knew it, saying after the game:
‘It’s a big win. We know what’s at stake every time: we have to get three points. We got it after 90 minutes, just like at Stoke. It tells you that it was a difficult game but also that we have the desire and the mental strength and we never give up. We leave it always late at the moment, which is maybe not good for my heart but for the championship it’s not bad. I believe we are in the fight. We have eight games to go. Why should we not believe? We will give absolutely everything to do it.’
What did you think of Arsenal’s performance today?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
A below par performance but getting the points @ stake even when u are not playing well shows that the team is ready for the title. Up gunners
The win was necessary and hard in coming after a very luckluster performance in mid-field. I think we were lucky that the ball bounced right on the second goal, but we won! Clichey’s work rate and effort were outstanding, Sagna performed admirably, and I am glad that Denilson took that last shot at goal–it was a wicked shot that gave the goalie a problem, and hence, the bounce. Not a wining performance, but a nice win at the end!
Yes wenger we were at serious tention with punic especially when it was 90minutes with 1-1. Arshavin was the man of the match since he contibuted to all the two goals. However arsenal will continue winning
This goal is worth a million pounds. We dont usually have this kind of luck of scouring late late goals after so many missed opportunities. Last week it was BENDTNER, this week it is ASSASIN. Could some one help me tell our players to have the mentality of WINNING @ ALL COST, look at what shooting from a distance can give u. Our people always say that when a bird lean how to fly without perching, it is left for the hunter to lean how to shoot without missing. When a team decided not to play but to pack them self at the back and try to defend untill the final whistle the solution is to shoot from every where. But can some one tell me why all refs hate arsenal that much and find it so easy to award penalties against us even when we play against so called small teams. Against stoke song was yellow carded when some body fouled him. Yesterday bendtner got booked when boateng Kicked him, slaped him in front of the same lines man who gave a penalty to some one that is in off side position. It is too bad any way the precious 3 points is what matters most and GOD provide it for us no matter the manner and time it came. Gunners till i die. Regards to my fellow gunners in LAGOS NIGERIA. ONOWU TOP GUNNER
Its “squeacky bum time” as never before. Lets match them punch to punch until the very end.
Hull has a fine University but its a city I will not miss visiting if they are relegated at the end of season. I was nervous all game and wondered if this was it: the end of our challenge. It does’nt get better if as I was having a spud sitting not very far from and applauding for anything Hull did.
Then out of blue Denilson speculated with a long distance shot which flammoxed goalkeeper and the rest is history. Imagine that we are co- toppers of the league? Can you actuallu understand it? After miles of disrespects in the Uk media?
Lets have it.
You’re not the first since Bendtner’s goal to claim Hull v Arsenal as “lucky”.
What? It was lucky that Hull were down to ten men?
What? It was lucky we were the better team anyway?
What? It was lucky Campbell didn’t get sent off too?
What? It was lucky we got any added-on time at all, let alone six minutes.
What? It was lucky we kept pressing until the last?
What? It was lucky Denilson’s shot didn’t soar into the corner of the net, but instead wobbled the unlucky Myhill into parrying it out straight to Bendtner who managed to bounce it over the still-unlucky Myhill’s flappy hand and into the goal before not being given (unluckily) offside.
Just for the record … luck is buying a lottery ticket, just the once, and winning the jackpot. It is indiscriminate by nature. Luck affects all teams in the PL equally.
Get it into your head. We won yesterday because we’re the best team in the Premiership; run by the best manager, and with the better belief in ourselves. To say anything else is an insult to these tenets.
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