1-0 to the Arsenal part 1,154

NEWCASTLE 0 ARSENAL 1

IN these times of uncertainty it is reassuring to know there are still some things you can rely on. It will always rain on a Bank Holiday, you will always go overdrawn the week before pay day and Arsenal will always finish above Spurs.

This latest final day success at Newcastle meant it was a close run thing again but as has been the case so often down the years; 1-0 to the Arsenal is usually enough.



For the second year running, Laurent Koscielny scores the Champions League qualifying goal

Okay so it was not a cup final or a league decider but it certainly felt a bit like one. Fourth place was the prize, and the Champions League qualification that comes with it, but there was also the knowledge that a win at St. James's Park would deny Spurs that privilege. Again.

This was the third time in the last seven seasons that we had been battling it out with our neighbours on the final day for the last Champions League spot, and the third time we have come out on top. No wonder they hate us so much.

Back in 2006, Spurs began the day one point above us, but thanks to a dodgy lasagne they lost at West Ham while we beat Wigan in the last ever match at Highbury to sneak into 4th.

Then last season it was us who held the one point advantage going into the last day. And thanks to some comedy goalkeeping from West Bromwich Albion's former Spurs reject Marton Fulop, we managed to get the win we needed to finish 3rd. Spurs, who had to settle for 4th, then saw their Champions League dream shattered when Chelsea won the competition to take their place instead.

And so to St. James's for part 3. Again we held the one point advantage so again it was in our hands, and having missed the game at the Hawthorns last year, Emerson and I were determined to enjoy this one.

No trophy at the end of it perhaps, but no less important for all that. In fact I saw it as being like a Play-Off final. Win and you are guaranteed a cash windfall and the opportunity to play at a higher level. Lose, and you risk losing millions while potential transfer targets will look elsewhere.

In fact when you look at what is at stake for the winners of the League Cup and FA Cup these days, it could be argued that this game was more important than either. Plus it had the added bonus of pouring more misery on that sorry lot from N17. Bonus.

Emerson acquainting himself with Sir Bobby prior to kick off

Pre-match I was nervous. Very nervous. I knew Newcastle would not roll over for us as they had for Liverpool a few weeks earlier. Pardew and Wenger have history so there was no way he would want to hand us that Champions League spot. No way at all.

Plus rumours were abound that owner Mike Ashley, a Spurs fan, had offered his staff a £1million bonus to beat us. No, this was not going to be easy.

Anyone who has been to St. James's will know all about the ascent to the away end. All 144 steps of it. Like mountaineering without the safety rope. But Emerson and I were not finished there. Oh no. Our seats were in the very back row, so that involved another 26 steps before we could take our place up in the Gods, about 2 miles from the pitch.

Not that the view was bad, quite the opposite in fact. You could see the whole of Newcastle from up there, and I'm sure I could even see my flat in Darlington. Plus, the leg room and height between rows was great so Emerson was able to see all of the action even though everyone in front of him was standing throughout the match.

By 3.15 the atmosphere was building nicely and we were fortunate to be in the main singing section. Emerson turned to me and said with a smile: 'This is going to be good isn't it, dad?' I hoped he was right.

The team news saw one surprise. Arteta was fit to start having been a doubt all week with a calf injury, so it was same side that had beaten Wigan on Tuesday night. Newcastle were also at full strength.

And after a blast of the Blayden Races, the teams were out. Come on Arsenal, you simply have to do this.

Emerson soaking up the atmosphere

Changing ends, we attacked our end in the first half and I was hoping for an early goal to settle the nerves. But the players looked more nervous than me. Things did not look good when Cisse blasted over from a good position after 10 minutes, while Arteta was then forced off inside half an hour.

The game failed to spark and in fact we only created one chance in the opening period, Cazorla firing over after good work from Gibbs down the left.

The highlight therefore was the minutes applause for Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper on his final appearance for the club before retirement. Good to see the away fans joining in too. So emotional was it in fact, that it brought tears to his eyes. Shame that we were unable to give him a shot to save at that moment.

The only good news as we went down for a half time cuppa was that Spurs were also being held 0-0 so it was still in our hands. But we needed to show greater urgency in the second half.

We were almost gifted a goal within a minute of the restart when Harper's weak clearance fell to Ramsey who slipped in Theo, but the 'keeper redeemed himself with a fine save down to his right. Our first effort on target of the afternoon.

However, we did not have to wait long for the goal we had been praying for. Sagna was fouled by Cabaye out on the right and when Theo's free kick was flicked on by Podolski, Koscielny arrived to volley past Harper from close range.

He initially looked to be offside, although as it was at the other end, about 4 miles away, it was hard to tell, so my first glace was to the linesman. But when I realised his flag had stayed down the celebrations could begin. And what celebrations they were. In short we went mental.

Koscielny celebrates with Metersaker and Cazorla as we go mental at the other end of the stadium

Emerson had not realised we had scored at first as the ball had come straight back out of the net and Koscielny had picked it up. But when he saw the celebrations around him, he knew. And I cannot recall seeing him look so happy. He was jumping about almost crying with joy. Great times indeed.

Ironically it had been a goal early in the second half from the same player at West Brom a year ago that had sealed our Champions League place. An omen perhaps?

But rather than settle my nerves, the goal actually made them worse. With over half an hour still to play we could still blow this. My heart was in my mouth every time Newcastle crossed the halfway line. Yes, Spurs was still 0-0 but I knew they would win. I mean it was only Sunderland. So a Geordie goal would see us finish 5th as we were not playing well enough to score again.

The last fifteen minutes were as nervy as I can remember but through it all we were looking very solid. The only real scare came late on when Mertesaker had to be alert to make a great block to deny Campbell inside the six yard box, and that certainly did not make me feel any better.

Then, as the clock was ticking down towards the 90 minute mark, news came through that Bale FC had scored. Shit just got real. Four minutes of stoppage time remained, plenty of time for them to score.

But the nerves should have been eased. Giroud, who had replaced Podolski and was looking bang up for it, turned a hopeful clearance from Sagna into a great pass to send Theo away, and he raced past Coloccini for the first time all day. He took his time, beat Harper with a low shot but as we prepared to go mental again, the ball hit the inside of the post and came back into the grateful arms of the 'keeper.

Having seen so many incidents in recent weeks of teams missing a great late chance only to conceded soon after, I was convinced we were now about to throw it away.

But suddenly there was a lot of cheering to our right as rumours came through that Sunderland had equalised. Chants of 'Paolo Di Canio' were being sung and there was pandemonium in the away section.

If that were indeed true, a Newcastle goal now would be irrelevant and the celebrations began in earnest. But it was just as well the players had not got wind of this, as it turned out to be false and Spurs had in fact won 1-0. But it did not matter in the end as moments later Howard Webb finally brought the match to a close and we had done it. Relief and no little joy.

Giroud leads the celebrations in front of the away fans at the whistle

No cup to collect but that did not matter one bit. The celebrations were as good as anything I have witnessed and that has included winning many, many trophies over the years.

'Let's all laugh at Tottenham,' and 'It's happened again, Tottenham Hotspur it's happened again' were being sung and for a few minutes everything was right with the world.

The 144 steps do not seem quite so bad when you are singing and dancing and these are the moments that live with you forever. Was it as good as Anfield '89, Copenhagen '94, Wembley '98, Old Trafford '02 or White Hart Lane '04? No. But it was as much fun as I have had at football in along time and it was the first taste of anything worth celebrating for Emerson. Now of course he wants more.

But this could be the start of the rebirth of Arsenal as a force again. For me it had Wembley '87 written all over it. A good young side who are about to go on and achieve greatness. Qualifying for the Champions League was the first step just as that League Cup success had been for George Graham's side.

Our form over the last three months has been outstanding. We are not conceding goals and have returned to the days of 1-0 to the Arsenal. With 2-3 quality signings this summer I really believe this time next year we could be celebrating something big. The title perhaps?

But I will not get too carried away just yet. Overall it has not been a great away season for Emerson and I. This was our sixth away trip and we have seen Arsenal score just four times and concede one. So not even a goal a game. Not sure how much that equates to per goal but it will be a lot when you factor in ticket prices, travel and food.

Still, this has made it all worthwhile. That is the thing with away games. Most are unmemorable. But occasionally you will go to one which makes up for it all and this was one such occasion.

So no trophy in the cabinet but this was certainly the next best thing. Now what were Spurs saying after they beat us in March? Mind the gap boys. Happy holidays.

Emerson enjoying finishing 4th

Suarez. A personality-free version of Cantona or mis-understood genius?

 

LUIS Suarez has been in the news for all the wrong reason once again. While we should be talking about his injury time equaliser against Chelsea on Sunday, we are instead having to discuss his apparent bite on Blues defender Branislav Invanovic.

This is not the first time the Uruguayan has been involved in a biting incident either. Playing for Ajax in 2010, Suarez bit the shoulder of PSV's Otman Bakkal. It proved to be his last match for Ajax before joining Liverpool in January 2011.

The Dutch FA banned him for seven matches in the wake of that incident, but baring in mind his past record, Suarez will do well to escape a much longer punishment this time.

Having already been suspended for 9 matches by the FA following racist remarks towards Manchester United's Patrice Evra in 2011, this latest offence will surely have to be dealt with far more severely.

Liverpool have acted swiftly by fining the 30-goal striker but does that go far enough? Regardless of how important he is to the team, should the Merseysiders now cut their losses and offload the troublesome Uruguayan?

There is no doubting his talent on the field. He has become one of the best strikers in the Premier League over the last 18 months and has been short-listed for Player of the Year. But with all that talent comes a serious temperament problem which is slowly getting out of control.

Not a week seems to go by when we are not talking about one misdemeanour or another from Suarez and that cannot be good for the player, the club or the Premier League as a whole.

He is probably the most controversial character to play in this country since Eric Cantona. Even that strict disciplinarian Sir Alex Ferguson was unable to tame the Frenchman and he was banned for 9 months and sentenced to 120 hours community service in 1995 for kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace fan who had given him some stick from the crowd.

But at least Cantona had charisma. Personality. For all his problems, it was difficult not to like the enigmatic Frenchman. But there are no seagulls and trawlers from Suarez. Instead we get a sly cheat who thinks nothing of diving, feigning injury and biting opponents. A spoil child who cannot get his own way.

Of course Liverpool fans, the same fans who were quick to condemn Cantona by the way, have jumped to the defence of their star player and you can see why. Without his 30 goals this season there is a very real possibility that Liverpool would now be embroiled in a relegation scrap.

They have cited the Jermaine Defoe incident against West Ham, where the Spurs striker appeared to bite Javier Mascherano in 2006 but escaped a ban, as a precedent. However, Defoe was booked at the time and did not have the same poor disciplinary record as Suarez.

I have heard many excuses for the Uruguayan; like how frustrated he is at the lack of talent around him and that he is from a different culture. But there can be no defence of such a cowardly action. Not when kids are watching. Kids who idolise him and want to be like him.

On the weekend where football paid its respects to the 96 Liverpool fans who died at Hillsborough 24 years ago, Suarez's actions are inexcusable. The club needs to be strong and show they are not prepared to tolerate his behaviour any longer, no matter how important he is to the team. Players come and go but the reputation of the club has to remain intact.

Genius he may be, but Suarez has surely now out-stayed his welcome.

Late Vernon strike gives Richmond Shield again

WENSLEYDALE LEAGUE MEDALS SHIELD FINAL
RICHMOND TOWN ACADEMY 2 HAWES UNITED 1 (aet)
By Ricky Butler at the RGPS

A goal from Sam Vernon three minutes from the end of extra time saw Richmond Town Academy retain the Medals Shield for a third year in a row at Northalleton last night.

With a closely fought final seemingly heading for a penalty shoot out, Vernon's 117th minute shot on the turn from 12 yards left Hawes United heartbroken.

Town, who had lifted this trophy for the past two seasons, went close early on through Jonathan Kellett and Ben Holmes but it was Hawes who went in front after 14 minutes.

Steve Calvert broke from midfield and fed Jonathon Champion on the edge of the penalty area who played a neat 1-2 with Darren Bell before smashing the ball past Town goalkeeper Karl Lathum from 16 yards.

But the lead lasted barely ten minutes. Mark Cleminson whipped in a dangerous free kick from out on the left and Ross McGuigan flicked the ball past Hawes 'keeper Chris Harrison from 6 yards.

Richmond were the better side for the remainder of the first half and they should have gone on front after half an hour when Josh Wooff hit the crossbar from close range after a low cross from Dylan Wardale.

But Hawes got on top in the second period with Brett Calvert, Daniel Peacock and Bell all coming close to winning it. although it was Richmond who nearly snatched the trophy two minutes from time.

Vernon played in Wooff and he displayed a neat touch to round Harrison, but Brett Calvert got back to make a superb last-ditch challenge as he was about to roll the ball into the empty net.

Extra time was difficult as players from both sides went down with cramp and the final was heading for a penalty shoot-out when Richmond grabbed a dramatic winner.

Cleminson showed a cool head on the edge of the penalty area before slipping in Vernon whose shot on the turn beat Harrison to give Richmond the Shield again.

RICHMOND TOWN ACADEMY - Lathum, Simpson, Muirhead, McGuigan, Cleminson, Carruthers, Kellett, Wooff, Holmes, Vernon, Wardale. Subs - Donaldson, Soulsby, Metcalfe, Battersby.

HAWES UNITED - Harrison, Iveson(L), Calvert(B), Guy(S), Allen, Calvert(S), Iveson(J), Dinsdale, Champion, Peacock, Bell. Subs - Guy(J), Hulley, Richardson, Iveson(A).

REFEREE - S. Peake
ASSISTANTS - E. Morris, J. Shuker
FOURTH OFFICIAL - J. Stephenson

Time to scrap the away goals rule?

Laurent Koscielny heads Arsenal's second goal in Munich, but should that have led to extra time?

FOLLOWING Arsenal's heroic failure in the Champions League this week, surely it is time to review the ridiculous away goals rule?

I understand why it was introduced - to encourage more attacking football in the early days of European club competition. But has it really achieved that?

It is now accepted that a 0-0 draw at home in the first leg is a good result. In what way is this encouraging attacking football?

Also, if the away team score early in the first leg they are happy to sit back knowing even a 2-1 defeat is not a disaster as a 1-0 home win will take them through. Again hardly encouraging teams to attack.

All that tends to happen is that the home team sets out to keep a clean sheet - the definition of negative football. That has become more important than actually winning the game. A 1-0 home win is not much different to a 0-0 draw.

Moreover, the whole idea of football is to score more goals than your opponent. Putting the ball in the net is the hardest thing in the game which is why good strikers cost the most money. Therefore why should a goal scored away from home be more valuable than one scored at home? A goal is a goal after all.

In no other competition is the away goal rule used. Imagine if it was in place in the FA Cup. The away team gets a 1-1 draw but goes through as their goal is worth more. No one would think that was fair.

If we accept that the away goals rule was brought in to encourage the away team to attack, rather than sit back for a 0-0 draw or 1-0 defeat hoping to turn it around at home in the second leg, then surely it should be overruled by an away win?

Therefore, if both legs end in away wins (say, 1-2 and 0-1) how can one away win be more worthy than the other if the aggregate score is the same?

I cannot for the life of me understand how Arsenal's 2-0 win in the Allianz Arena this week is not as worthy as Bayern's 3-1 win at the Emirates three weeks earlier? Both are 2-goal away wins, one should cancel out the other.

Also, I would argue that if away goals were not in force it would have led to a far more exciting finish. Once Arsenal scored the second goal, Bayern were happy to just waste time and run the clock down.

If they knew the prospect of extra time was looming they may have tried to push for a winner which would have led to an end-to-end last 5 minutes instead of the farce we witnessed.

Of course it is easy for people to think I am just a bitter Gooner who is unhappy that his team has gone out. Everyone knew the rules before the start etc. etc. But I have no problem with going out if we actually lose the tie.

Last year we lost 0-4 away in Milan and although we won the second leg 3-0, we were out. Fair enough. The year before we lost 3-4 on aggregate to Barcelona. Again, no problem. But to win away from home, draw 3-3 on aggregate and still go out. No I'm not having that.

And just because we all knew the rules does not make them right. The game has changed over the years. The offside law, for example, has changed several times. Three points for a win was introduced back in 1982. Then we had the back pass law ten years later. All were brought in to make the game more exciting.

As the game changes, the laws of the game need to change with it. The away goals rule is now out-dated. Unnecessary. Extra time and penalties were introduced to decide cup ties that finished level in every other competition. Why should Europe be any different?

1-0 to the Arsenal, part 2

SUNDERLAND 0 ARSENAL 1

HAVING finally broken our away-day duck this season at Wigan just before Christmas, Emerson and I made it two wins in a row with this exciting success at Sunderland on Saturday.

This Arsenal side have been accused of lacking heart and bottle this season, but after this performance they showed they have plenty of both.

In a first half display which was as good as anything we have produced all season, the lads dug in after Karl Jenkinson’s sending off early in the second half to ensure we left with the three points that were absolutely essential.

For reasons unbeknown to most Sunderland fans, the club have decided to move the away section to the opposite end of the stadium this season, above the traditional home end. Now while the view is undoubtedly better and the atmosphere superb, it did seem strange to see the team run out towards the opposite end to warm up before kick-off.

That warm up produced some drama as Laurent Koscielny, who had been named in the original starting XI, pulled up with a recurrence of his calf injury, so Jenkinson was brought into the side with Bacary Sagna switching to centre half.

I have to say I was not convinced about him playing there as he been poor in his natural right back role this season, but he was to prove me wrong with possibly his best performance in an Arsenal shirt.

The first half saw us attacking our end and we played some sublime football in between the Black Cats 'attempts to kick us off the park. Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere were both immense in midfield, while the movement of Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud up front meant the chances kept on coming.

We should have been 3 or 4 up in opening twenty-five minutes as we tore them apart again and again. Simon Mignolet, a goalkeeper who would be a great addition to our squad, produced heroics to deny Walcott and Cazorla, while Giroud and Aaron Ramsey also came close.

But the goal we had been threatening finally arrived, ten minutes before the break. Another sweeping move saw Walcott find Cazorla on the edge of the penalty and the little Spaniard thundered a shot through the crowded box to send the away end into raptures.

It should have been 2-0 just before the break when Ramsey was denied by Mignolet from close range when he really ought to have scored, and I hoped that would not come back to haunt us in the second half.

It appeared as though it might however, when Jenkinson was shown a second yellow card by referee Anthony Taylor for bringing down Sessengnon right in front of the away end. No complaints about that as it was clearly a bookable offence, as was his earlier challenge on Jack Colback, but the poor official looked way out of his depth for much of the afternoon.

In this situation most managers would have panicked and threw on another defender at the expense of a forward, but Wenger kept calm, slotted Ramsey in at right back and dropped Cazorla a little deeper.  

Now I have been one of Ramsey biggest critics in the past but his form in recent weeks has been superb and he did a great job in another unfamiliar role. Sessegnon is a tricky customer at the best of times but the Welshman handled him very well and even managed to get forward when the opportunity presented itself.

Of course with ten men we came under a lot of pressure in the final twenty minutes, more so after Wilshere had been forced to depart after one too many cynical challenges, this time from the truly abysmal Alfred N’Diaye. Quite how this guy has managed to steal a living as a professional footballer is beyond me and I was not surprised to see him depart for the far superior Danny Graham.

We could have sealed the points ten minutes from time when Walcott struck the post in a lightening quick counter attack, but that would have killed the game and denied us the exciting finale that unfolded. Sunderland threw everything at us but we put our bodies on the line to preserve the clean-sheet and the three points.

Of course we were thankful to Wojceich Szczsney in the end for a series of outstanding stops, some of which were almost Schmechiel-like. Good to see too as the Pole has looked a little shaky in recent weeks.

One save in particular, from Steven Fletcher’s close range header, defied belief and was easily one of the best I have ever seen. Last season on this ground, a late Thierry Henry goal saw us move into the top 4, a win that proved significant in the final reckoning, and the celebrations at the end here, both on the pitch and in the away end, showed this could be just as important came May.

In a way it was the perfect away performance. Electrifying in the first half and solid in the second. Strong at both ends of the pitch. This is clearly a team still in transition but as the season has gone on they have grown together.

With the young British lads like Wilshere, Walcott, Ramsey, Jenkinson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs all tied in to long term deals, the future looks bright.

I have been saying it for a while now and have been called a dreamer, but I really believe this team can win the Premier League within two years. The addition of one of two new recruits this summer could even make it happen next season.

Optimistic? Perhaps, but if Emerson and I can see two away wins in a row this season, then anything is possible.

The Hazard of being a ball-boy

THE big story in football this week is not about 'little' Bradford City becoming the first club from the fourth tier of English football to reach a Wembley cup final.

It is not about Swansea becoming the first Welsh club to reach the final of the English League Cup. It's not even about Arsenal scoring five against West Ham or the serious injury sustained by Hammers' Dan Potts in the same match.

No. The Story of the week is about a ball-boy who refused to give the ball back and was kicked in the ribs for his trouble. Correct me if I am wrong but is it not the job of the ball-boy to retrieve the ball and return it to the players as quickly as possible? Is that not the first lesson they receive at ball-boy school?

Yet young Charlie Morgan - I say young but he is in fact 17 years old, a veteran in ball-boy circles - had boasted on his Twitter profile earlier in the day that he was going to 'waste time.'

Of course from a fans point of view that is totally understandable. With his club so close to a cup final he wanted to do everything he could to ensure they got there. We have all felt like that, right? However, this usually just involves singing as loudly as we can and perhaps booing the opposition players.

But on the night he was not a fan. He was representing the club, his club, and doing a very important job. A job that most young lads would give their right arm to do.

Five minutes before the much-talked about incident, with fifteen minutes of the tie remaining and Swansea still leading 2-0 on aggregate, the ball went out for a Swansea goal-kick and Morgan took his time retrieving it. So much so in fact that several Chelsea players gestured to him and pointed it out to referee Chris Foy.

Perhaps what should have happened then was for someone from the club to have had a quiet word with him. Tell him that was not really on. Maybe the assistant referee on that side of the pitch could have intervened.

But no. So when the ball went out of play again soon after, Morgan was not going to rush. In fact he wanted to take even more time. As Eden Hazard approached to get the ball himself, Morgan turned away to prevent him from reaching it.

Of course Hazard was frustrated. His team was losing and he wanted to get on with the game. With so many footballers these days criticised for cheating and time wasting, it was refreshing to see one in such a hurry to get on with it. Funny how losing does that to you.

Morgan then appeared to slip and land on the ball, but instead of moving away so Hazard could get it, he again shielded it from the Chelsea man.

Hazard had clearly had enough now and his frustration got the better of him. He knew, as we all knew, that Morgan was deliberately trying to stop him getting the ball. He reacted in exactly the same way as most of us would in that situation. He attempted to kick the ball from under him.

Unfortunately it appeared he had also caught Morgan in the ribs with his boot and the ball-boy made sure everyone knew about it. Milked it for all it was worth.

At this point Foy was looking in the opposite direction and was only alerted to the incident by the reaction of Swans skipper Ashley Williams, who ran over to confront Hazard. After consulting with his assistant, the official then produced a red card for the Belgian for serious foul play, but was it really a sending off offence?

I have to say I have never seen an incident like that in over 30 years of watching the game but I have seen players fall on the ball and then prevent an opponent from getting it. What usually happens is a sort of free-for-all where one or more of the surrounding players try to kick the ball out, inevitably catching the player who is protecting the ball. And the result? Usually a yellow card for the player on the ground for ungentlemanly conduct.

So what happens now? Well despite his apology immediately after the game, Hazard will no doubt get the book thrown at him. Fined, banned and warned about his future conduct.

Meanwhile young Morgan, just five years Hazard's junior, will probably get away scot-free. His days as a ball-boy are probably over anyway, as according to his Twitter profile he had only come out of 'retirement' for the Chelsea game due to others dropping out.

No doubt he will be looked on a celebrity in his village with countless interviews on the local news and slaps on the back from his mates. A claim for compensation could also be on the cards as I bet the injuries he sustained are far more serious than they first appeared. And Hazard is loaded, right?

I wouldn't be surprised if he was given free tickets to the final by the club and travels to Wembley on the team bus. He certainly played his part in getting them there.

But shouldn't he have to face some sort of punishment? The lad who ran onto the pitch to confront Rio Ferdinand in the recent Manchester derby, a lad around the same age as Morgan, was banned from all football grounds for life.

Of course that was far more serious, even though he was prevented from actually reaching Ferdinand by the intervention of Joe Hart, and I wouldn't suggest a similar punishment in this case. But he certainly should never be allowed to represent the club again and be denied pitch-side access in future.

As usual I expect the FA will probably take the PC approach and set up a Ball-boy Academy to teach youngsters the art of retrieving the ball both quickly and safely. It will probably be called the Charlie Morgan Academy and have his statue outside the front gate.

But we need to keep some perspective. This was a one-off incident. Both parties made mistakes and I'm sure both realise that now. Perhaps we should just accept that and move on. However, I get the feeling we haven't quite heard the last of this.

Second half Arsenal blitz sees off Hammers

ARSENAL 5 WEST HAM UNITED 1
By Ricky Butler at The Emirates

Oliver Giroud - Arsenal's two-goal hero against West Ham

FOUR goals in a scintillating ten minute second half spell gave Arsenal a much needed victory at the Emirates last night, although the result was somewhat overshadowed by a serious head injury to West Ham substitute Dan Potts.

The match was held up for more than ten minutes in the second half as the defender lay stricken on the turf following a clash of heads with Bacary Sagna, and with Sam Alladyce having already used his three substitutes, the Hammers finished the game with only ten men. The result however, had long been decided by Arsenal's earlier blitz.

Arsene Wenger's side began the night seven points behind fourth-placed Spurs so they knew nothing less victory would be enough to keep their Champions League hopes alive. But despite going a goal down inside twenty minutes, courtesy of a great strike from Jack Collison, Arsenal fought back in impressive style.

Having missed Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea due to illness, Lukas Podolski was back in the side and it was his magnificent 25 yard drive that brought the Gunners level just four minutes after Collison's effort.

Arsenal should have been ahead by the break as Podolski saw another effort cleared off the line by Joey O'Brien, although Aaron Ramsey was forced to do likewise at the other end to deny Carlton Cole.

But Arsenal nerves were settled within a minute of the second half. Theo Walcott whipped in a low corner from the left and Oliver Giroud arrived to turn the ball home at the near post. And that opened the floodgates.

Six minutes later Podolski played a lovely one-two with Santi Cazorla and the little Spaniard tucked the ball home from close range with a clever back-heel. Podolski then crossed for Walcott to make it 4-1 with his 16th goal of the season, and the German then created the fifth for Giroud with another inviting delivery from the left.

A repeat of the seven they scored against Newcastle recently looked on the cards, but the injury to Potts fifteen minutes from time ended the match as a contest. Walcott and substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both came close in a subdued finale but the points were already safely in the bag.

"West Ham defended very well in the first half," said Wenger. "We looked dangerous but couldn't finish our chances. We came out in the second half and attacked with tremendous pace. The injury to Dan Potts was the end of the game really but until that moment we played very well.

"In the Chelsea game there were a lot of positives, it was disappointing to lose, but we took the positives and transferred that into to this game.

"You want to be at your best every single game but we have many new players and it takes some time to get to know each other very well and I think that understanding is getting better."

West Ham manager Alladyce said: "It was 10 minutes of genius. You could say we could defend better but I thought they hit the ground running.

"The encouraging thing for them was that we switched off for one corner and that lifted them. In the first half we defended exceptionally well but that 10 minutes blew us away."

ARSENAL - Szczesny 7, Sagna 7, Mertersaker 7, Vermaelan 7 (Koscielny 58, 7), Gibbs 8, Ramsey 9, Cazorla 8, Wilshere 8, Walcott 8, Giroud 8 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 77, 6), Podolski 9 (Santos 70, 6).

WEST HAM UNITED - Jaaskelainan 6, Reid 6 (Diarra 62, 5), Tomkins 5, O'Brien 6, Demal 7, Collison 7 (Potts 62, 6), Taylor 6, Noble 6, Nolan 5, Cole(C) 6, Vaz Te 5 (Diame, 6).

REFEREE: A. Marriner 6 - An easy night for the Birmingham-based official.

MAN OF MATCH: Podolski (Arsenal) - One cracking goal and three assists. Possibly his best game for the club.

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