1-0 to The Arsenal, part 7,049

BURNLEY 0 ARSENAL 1

By Ricky Butler at Turf Moor

THERE IS NO FEELING QUITE LIKE SCORING A LAST MINUTE WINNER AWAY FROM HOME. AND WHEN IT COMES IN A MATCH THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO WIN IT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE SWEETER.

Laurent Koscielny has developed a habit of scoring important goals for us in recent years. He grabbed crucial winners on the final day in both 2012 and 2013 to secure Champions League football, as well as the equaliser in the 2014 FA Cup Final.

But while this late scrambled effort at Turf Moor was not as significant as any of those it could prove to be the catalysis that propels our mounting title challenge.

With City losing earlier in the day at Spurs, we had a great chance to close the gap to a very manageable two points.

I was not that surprised by City's demise at White Hart Lane. I have said all along that they look vulnerable and they would come unstuck against a decent side. They were fortunate to win at United in August and conceded three at Celtic in midweek, so this was very much on the cards.

But after suffering 92 minutes of shear frustration at the hands of Burnley's massed defence it appeared that we had once again flattered to deceive. The great work in beating Chelsea last Saturday and the stylish midweek demolition of Basel had raised expectations, and they were being brought back down to earth with the usual thump.

You could see the headlines already: 'Arsenal lack the bottle for a title fight'.

But they could not have been further from the truth. We will not face many more physical encounters all season, and after a really tough week this was perhaps the last thing we needed. However, despite being dead on our feet we somehow managed to raise ourselves in the final ten minutes for a late push that ultimately brought its dramatic reward.

There may have been a hint of offside about the goal (later proved to be incorrect) and a definite hint of handball (later proved correct) but it was hard to deny Arsene Wenger a win on his special day. The reception he received when he came out at the start, not just from the away end but the whole stadium, was very emotional. For all the stick he has been given I have always supported him and will be eternally grateful for all the wonderful memories he has given us.

It was somehow fitting that back in October 1996 we had played just up the road at Blackburn in Wenger's first match. Two Ian Wright goals that day secured a 2-0 victory and in many ways this was a return to the old days.

Burnley are almost the polar opposite of Arsenal in terms of style and philosophy. Sean Dyche has his side well organised, disciplined and has made them very hard to break down. Often they had ten men behind the ball and the fact they only touched the ball ten times in our penalty area in the entire 90 minutes shows what their intentions were. They reminded me a little of us in the latter years of George Graham.

But despite this, Burnley still offered a threat. Petr Cech was forced to tip a header around the post before they later hit the bar with another header, this time from the impressive Michael Keane.

At this point I think it worth giving a mention to Shkodran Mustafi. The German was apparently a panic buy but is already looking very much the real deal. Adding a physical edge to our back four, he also has pace to burn and is very strong in the air.

His partnership with Koscielny is fast developing into one of the best in the Premier League and I would go as far as to say that at the moment we appear to have the best defensive unit in the league. Since that opening day disaster against Liverpool, we have conceded just three goals in six games, with one of those a penalty and another an own goal.

But the focus was very much at the other end of the pitch as we peppered the Burnley goal in the second half, with Alexis Sanchez twice going close. First he produced a fine save from Tom Heaton down to his left before then scraping the outside of the post with a volley that had Heaton rooted to the spot.

After getting up a head of steam in the final ten minutes we appeared to have run out of ideas as the clock ticked down towards the 90 minute mark. When the 4^th official held up the board we were all expecting at least five to be added on due to the amount of time Heaton had wasted on goal kicks. In fact referee, Craig Pawson, had twice warned him about it.

But two it was and when second of those minutes was up, Santi Cazorla's speculative shot from 20 yards was deflected wide for one last corner. Indeed Pawson indicated that this would be the last action of the match. So it was now or never.

It was therefore somehow poetic justice that we not only scored in time added on to the time added on due to their time wasting, but that we scored a very un-Wenger like goal. A short corner, flicked on at the near post and turned home by our captain. Koscielny, it seems, is developing more in common with his predecessor, Tony Adams, than just his shirt number.

How many times did we see that under George Graham in the 1980s and 90s? Of course the irony was lost on many around me, all far too young to remember anything before Wenger. Yes, he really has been at the club so long that a whole generation of fans only know him as our manager!

The celebrations were far better than such a scrappy goal deserved but last minute winners are like that. And we have had a few to celebrate down the years.

I did feel a little sympathy for Burnley. They are nice club with a rich history and every single one of their players gave all they had. But sentiment goes out of the window when you have a title to win. Plus, any team who's only ambition is not to lose probably deserves all it gets.

But it isn't the 3-0 wins over Chelsea that win you the title. No. It is the scrappy 1-0's away from home when you are not at your best. That is the mark of a true champion. Of course we are only seven games into a 38 game marathon but the signs are good.

We have a different mentality this season, a toughness missing in recent years. The squad has the right balance and depth. Players such as Mesut Ozil, Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Koscielny, Nacho Monreal and Cazorla are all at their peak. Young players like Hector Bellerin and Alex Iwobi have emerged, and the new signings look to have settled in quickly.

Of course I will not carried away just yet. It is February when we usually fall apart. But something inside me tells it will be different this time.

I remember in the early part of the 1988-89 season when we hadn't won the title for 18 years. I had that same feeling then. That season ended with us winning the league in the final seconds of the final match.

It could be that close again. Three weeks ago we scrapped a win over Southampton with a very dodgy stoppage time penalty. Once is lucky, perhaps, but twice shows character and spirit. This is a team of winners. They just have another 31 games to prove it!

New season, same old problems?

ARSENAL 3 LIVERPOOL 4

By Ricky Butler from the Emirates

SO A NEW SEASON BUT THE SAME OLD ARSENAL. OR IS IT?

Another summer of inactivity in the transfer market, an opening day defeat; the third in the last four seasons, and yet more unrest from the fans, it would be easy to think that nothing much has changed at the Emirates.

But apart from an awful 15 minute spell just after half time, this was by no means a bad Arsenal performance. Going forward the Gunners always looked dangerous and they certainly showed some courage to fight back from 4-1 down.

While that is nowhere near good enough for a club with title ambitions, it is certainly not the crisis it has been portrayed to be either.

In fact the first half saw Arsenal play some good football against the much-fancied Merseysiders, and they should have been at least two goals clear at the break.

Theo Walcott has suffered a lack of confidence in recent months so it did seem strange when he stepped up to take the 28^th minute penalty, won by Walcott himself after a clumsy challenge from the simply dreadful Alberto Moreno.

To be fair it was not the worst penalty in the world, and was a decent save from Simon Mignolet, but surely Alexis Sanchez or Aaron Ramsey would have been a better option?

Credit the England winger for the quality of his finish just two minutes later, however, with a goal that epitomised all that was good about Arsenal's sharp first half display. A crisp tackle from Francis Coquelin, a lovely through ball from Alex Iwobi and a lovely low finish from Walcott.

But in first half stoppage time, the whole complexion of the match changed.

Yes it was a superb free kick from Philippe Coutinho that flew into the top right-hand corner of the net, but it was the inexperience of young Premier League debutant, Rob Holding, which gave the Brazilian the opportunity to beat Petr Cech from 25 yards.

The former Bolton youngster was too eager, too hasty and needlessly pulled Courinho to the floor. But no one could have foreseen what was to come in the opening period of the second half.

With a centre back pairing with a combined age of just 41 while the leader of the back four rested his weary limbs in the stand, Arsenal simply fell apart.

The quality of the goals from Adam Lallana, Coutinho and Saido Mane should not disguise what would have been poor defending had it been seen on Hackney Marshes on a Sunday morning.

4-1 could easily have 5 or 6 as Liverpool sliced through the inexperienced Arsenal back line at will. But with the home fans turning on their team, the Gunners, inspired by the introduction from the bench of Santi Cazorla, surprisingly recovered to set up a grandstand finale.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who had performed well in pre-season and perhaps deserved a start here, scored a marvellous solo effort before Calum Chambers, who had been at fault for at least two of the Liverpool goals, glanced home a free kick from Cazorla.

Three Englishmen on the score-sheet for Arsenal? A rare event indeed.

With the best part of 15 minutes still to play, the Gunners had plenty of time to salvage something from what had been another difficult opening day. But a fifth Liverpool goal looked far more likely in the end as Arsene Wenger's men left massive gaps at the back.

Wenger, approaching 20 years in the hot seat, must have been feeling the heat at the final whistle as the boos rang out around the half empty stadium. To later admit that his team were not prepared for the opening Premier League match will not sit well with supporters who have long been calling for his head.

Liverpool certainly looked prepared as did many of the other title challengers over the first weekend.

So while other clubs have spent millions on reinforcements this summer, Wenger has only brought in teenager Holding and Swiss international, Granit Xhaka, who looked unremarkable from the bench here.

But with key players like Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscienly, Olivier Giroud and Jack Wilshere all set to return it is far too early to right off Arsenal just yet.

They showed enough here to suggest that with a more experienced back four a title challenge is not beyond them. And history tends to suggest that defeat in the opening home match is often the recipe for success here in N5.

Five times from the last seven that Arsenal have lost their opening home match they have gone on to lift a trophy, including two league titles.

Not many at the Emirates yesterday would bet on a repeat come May, but as Leicester showed last season; anything is possible.

Same old Arsenal? Perhaps. But only time will tell.

It happened again...another trophy-less season but optimism for the future?

SO FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW WE FINISHED THE SEASON WITH A 4-0 WIN OVER ASTON VILLA.

But while last year it saw us lift the FA Cup at Wembley for the second year in a row, this time it merely secured second-place in the Premier League.

The difference between second and third is negligible. Both qualify directly for the group stage of the Champions League. But when the difference is finishing above or below your greatest rivals it means so much more.

This season more than any other, Spurs really believed this was their year. Until just over a week before the end of the season they still harbored ambitions of winning the title. So finishing above us for the first time in 21 years was a given, especially with us in apparent crisis. So much so that they had already been celebrating for the previous two months.

But we have been here before. When Spurs fall it is usually spectacularly. With four games to go they were five points above us. They had a comfortable looking run in as well with home games against mid-table WBA and Southampton, coupled with trips to Chelsea and Newcastle.

With a far superior goal difference they only needed six points to guarantee them the holy grail of finishing above us, and that was assuming we won all our games, which I didn't expect that we would.

But after drawing with WBA and Chelsea, and then losing at home to Southampton; Spurs having led in all three games, we managed to close the gap to just two points going into the final day. We faced already-relegated Aston Villa while they travelled to already-relegated Newcastle.

In a repeat of 2006, Spurs only needed a draw. That was the day of Lasagne-gate at West Ham, although in reality it was simply a bug that had ravaged the squad. They lost 2-1 and we pinched fourth place by beating Wigan in the final game at Highbury.

Then three years ago we were at St. James's Park on the final day needing to equal Spurs' result at home to Sunderland to pip them to the final Champions League spot. We won 1-0. It had happened again. Third time lucky? To be honest I fully expected Spurs to get the point they needed and had long resigned myself to the fact that we would finish third.

But to lose 5-1 against a side that was already relegated and were reduced to ten men with more than half an hour still to play, that is taking bottling to a whole new level.

To be honest we were less than impressive against Villa, hanging on to an early 1-0 lead for long spells. You wouldn't have been surprised if we'd conceded a late equaliser, like we had recently against Palace, and let Spurs off the hook. But once the news began to filter through that it was 3-1 to Newcastle, then 4-1 and 5-1, we could relax and the goals flowed. 4-0. Again. Lovely.

Many fans still feel it has been a disappointing season and in many ways it has been. But back in August we would have been more than happy finishing above City, Chelsea, United, Liverpool and Spurs. But Leicester had the season of a lifetime and no one could compete with that. In the end we came the closest.

The biggest disappointment, for me, was the FA Cup. With a very average United side beating a very poor Palace side in the final this was a real opportunity to create history. Three in a row.

The quarter final defeat at the hands of Watford was easily the worst result of the season, especially as it was so avoidable. Even after going 2-0 down we had more than enough chances to have turned it around.

So in the end our season came down a Danny Welbeck miss in stoppage time. If that had gone in we would have won the replay, beaten Palace in the semis and you'd have had to fancy our chances against United in the final.

The League Cup was once again a source of frustration. With a half decent side out against Sheffield Wednesday instead of the bunch of kids selected, we would have won and who knows where it may have taken us? I would have certainly backed us to beat either City or Liverpool so that was another opportunity missed.

I'm not even going to talk about the Champions League. English clubs are not on the same level as the big four in Europe at the moment so we were never going to win it. At least we could take heart from two decent performances against Barca where poor only defending let us down.

But in the end we finished with a ten match unbeaten run in the league. In fact since getting thumped 4-0 at Southampton on Boxing Day we lost just three times in the league. No one except Leicester lost fewer matches over the same period.

With some transfer business conducted early I am optimistic that we can go one better next season. We need a striker and a centre back to complement our new midfield dynamo and then we'll be set.

City have Pep and United, Jose. Liverpool will be stronger now Klopp has settled in and Spurs will be a force again. But we have nothing to fear. We are not far away. If it is set to be Wenger's last season then it would be fitting that he goes out in style? A fourth Premier League title in a third different decade would be a hell of a way to go.

So instead of spending the season wishing for Wenger to leave lets get behind him one last time. Leicester have shown you can live the dream if you believe in it enough. So do you believe enough? Do you???

GOALLESS AT THE COLLIERY

EBAC NORTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION TWO
EASINGTON COLLIERY 0 NORTHALLERTON TOWN 0
By Ricky Butler. Additional reporting from Connor Lamb and Andy Heywood

THERE WERE NO GOALS AND PRECIOUS LITTLE EXCITEMENT AT WELFARE PARK LAST NIGHT AS TWO OF THE DIVISION'S IN-FORM SIDES, EASINGTON COLLIERY AND NORTHALLERTON TOWN, CANCELLED EACH OTHER OUT.

Easington, back in the Ebac Northern League this season after a three year absence, had seen their eight-match unbeaten run brought to an end at struggling Esh Winning over the weekend, while EA Cup finalists Town arrived on the back of a good run of only one defeat in their previous ten matches.

But after a bright start in which Easington's Shaun Smith saw a cross cut out by Town defender, Daniel Jones, the match developed into a dour, midfield battle with chances at either end few and far between.

The hosts did much of the early pressing and in the 15th minute, Luke Page lifted a good ball into the penalty area but Jones headed clear again.

Meanwhile, Town were slowly settling into the match and Aaron Ramsbottom's high ball into the penalty area was well dealt with by home goalkeeper, Kyle Donaldson, under pressure from Elliot McGlade.

Northallerton were now just shading proceedings and they came close to opening the scoring midway through the first half. A free-kick from 25 yards by Ramsbottom curled over the Easington wall but Donaldson punched the ball behind for a corner.

Colliery responded with Stephen Bogie looking to thread the ball through to Joe Kerridge but Town goalkeeper Michael Thackeray rushed out to clear the danger.

Although no real chances were being created, both sides were busy, probing for the breakthrough. A mazy run from Page saw him dart from one edge of the penalty area to the other but his shot was blocked. Then, at the other end, Damon Reaks knocked the ball wide to Ramsbottom, who's low cross was cleared.

That summed up much of the first half where good approach play from both sides was let down by a poor final ball.

Looking to shake things up during the interval, Town manager, Darren Trotter, replaced Reaks with Daniel Ballantyne, but the pattern of the match did not really change in the second half.

Easington however, did begin to look a lot more dangerous and six minutes after the restart they twice came close to edging in front. Firstly, a deep cross from Liam Hodgson fell just wide of the far post, while Page then started a promising Easington move which saw Hodgson tee-up Aidan Heywood, but his curling effort just missed the target.

Approaching the hour-mark the hosts again came close to breaking the deadlock. Reece Kenney hit a long-range drive which forced Thackeray into a diving save but the former Billingham Town goalkeeper could only palm the ball to Kerridge, who saw his effort deflected behind for a corner.

With 64 minutes on the clock, Easington made their first change as Bogie gave way for Bryan Norton, while a minute later, an Easington free-kick led to a game of head tennis inside the Town penalty area before the away side eventually cleared.

Northallerton then made a second change as McGlade was replaced by Jack Dalton, while at the same time, Easington made what turned out to be a final substitution of the night as Peter Jones came on for Kenney.

With eighteen minutes left, Town's Mark Hemingway lifted a free-kick into the penalty area which Donaldson easily claimed, while the Easington goalkeeper then did just enough to deal with Stuart Owens' dangerous set-piece delivery.

The home side had the chance to grab the lead in the 77th minute when Smith played in Kerridge but he could only fire straight at the ‘keeper. Then, less than a minute later, Kerridge found himself in a promising position once again following a pass from Heywood, but despite looking ill-at-ease, the Northallerton defence somehow managed to clear the danger.

With time running out, the visitors made a tactical change as Hemingway and Ballantyne switched wings, and in the final few seconds it almost paid dividends. Donaldson failed to cleanly collect a Ballantyne cross but the Easington goalkeeper quickly recovered to deny Town what would have been a very late winner.

The draw does neither side any favours as Town remain in sixth place, 12 points off a possible promotion place, with Easington one place and two points worse off.

Next up for Town is a trip to Willington on Saturday while Easington host Thornaby. Both games kick off at 3pm.

EASINGTON COLLIERY: Donaldson, Hodgson, Varga, Pearson (c), O’Brien, Kenney, Heywood, Page, Kerridge, Boyle, Smith. Subs: Nesbit, Martin, Maughan, Norton, Jones.

NORTHALLERTON TOWN: Thackeray, Johnson, Hemingway, Keogh, Jones, Knox, Reaks, Owens (c), Ramsbottom, McGlade, McLachlan. Subs: Ballantyne, Calvert, Dalton, Foley, Farrell.

REFEREE: Darren Wylam.

ATTENDANCE: 102

Barca defeat and TV schedules - Reasons to be cheerful (part 54)

By Ricky Butler

SO ANOTHER DISAPPOINTING European exit. Once again we paid the price for a poor first leg result, although there is certainly no shame in losing to this Barcelona side.

At least we showed some character in the Nou Camp. It was actually a decent performance. Yes, Barca, 2-0 up from that first leg at the Emirates, were already on the beach but there was still a lot of positives to take on the night.

Alex Iwobi, 19, proved again that he is set for a big future while Mohamed Elneny had his best game yet in an Arsenal shirt. Arsene Wenger has had his critics in recent months but he has once again unearthed two real gems.

Elsewhere it was a familiar story as we paid the price for some poor defending and a failure to take our chances. We needed to score first and we had several chances to do just that; Alexis Sanchez' header which glanced just wide being the best.

Once we went behind in the 18^th minute to a well taken goal from Neymar, just moments after David Ospina had produced an incredible save to deny Lionel Messi, we played with more freedom and should have had a penalty before the break when Iwobi was clipped by Javier Mascherano. With the Nigerian teenager clean through on goal, a red card may well have followed for the Spaniard.

However, history shows us that English sides never get any big decisions in the Nou Camp so we should not have been surprised when the Russian official waved away our appeals.

Elneny's superb strike early in the second half, which had Messi or Neymar scored would have been talked about for weeks, briefly raised our hopes. Danny Welbeck, again showing what a terrific player he is, had a great chance to bring us to within one goal of going through. But Mascherano, who perhaps should not still have been on the field, got across make to make a crucial block.

The danger was always a Barca counter-attack and midway through the second half that was exactly what happened. Luis Suarez' volley appeared to come off his shin but it flew in off the underside of the crossbar and that was that. Game over.

Sanchez' free kick did force a great save from Marc-Andre de Stegen, who then did well to keep out Olivier Giroud's follow up, and Welbeck hit the crossbar, but on the night that was the difference; Barca took their chances, and in the closing stages they added an undeserved third.

Again our defending left a lot to be desired but it was a tidy finish from an otherwise disappointing Messi. 3-1 on the night, 5-1 on aggregate. We perhaps deserved better over the two legs but with a front three of MSN, Barca are pretty much unstoppable. Last year we went out out a team who we should have beaten, this time we can have very few complaints.

So where now for Wenger? Saturday's trip to Everton is now even more important. Nothing less than victory will do.

Off track slightly but it is great that the TV companies have helped by making it a lunchtime kick off after a Wednesday night away match in Europe. Not that we should be surprised as they never take into the account the players or the fans when it comes to rescheduling games. Unless it is Manchester United or Chelsea. Have either of them ever faced such a schedule at this point in a title race?

Surely from an audience point of view it would have been in BT Sports best interests to have two fresh teams playing. What will inevitably happen now is Arsenal will have to try to get the job done early on, making the second half a non-event. Cue millions of viewers switching off.

But enough of all that. Nothing less than three points will do and the only positive is that we have a very good record at Goodison Park. Everton have their own problems, especially at home, and they will more focused on the FA Cup, so expect a very cagey, error-ridden match.

If we can take the positives from the Nou Camp I still feel we still have a chance to claw back Spurs and Leicester City. A small chance, perhaps, but a chance nonetheless. Despite evidence to the contrary in recent weeks, we do have some very good players and if they can get that spark back maybe we can salvage something from the wreckage of the season.

Wenger has another year left on his contract and I'd like him to see it through regardless or what happens over the final nine matches. The problems are more to do with the ownership of the club, and getting a new manager in would not alter that. The club have to change their whole philosophy or we will have to accept that the top 4 and the odd cup run will be the limit of our ambitions for the foreseeable future.

Of course things could be much, much worse, but we are The Arsenal. We have a rich history and we should be challenging for honours. The frustrating thing is we are so close; maybe just three or four players away from matching the likes of Barca and Bayern Munich.

So a season that promised so much is now just 90 minutes away from being over. Victory at Goodison could ignite a run-in to defy all the odds but I am not convinced it will happen. The Barca match will have taken its toll and I expect a tired Arsenal to limp to defeat, Lukaku perhaps proving the difference.

Ten-men Gunners keep title chances alive

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 ARSENAL 2

by Richard Butler

WHAT A DIFFERENCE a few days makes. They say a week is a long time in politics but in football it is even longer.

After shocking performances over the previous six days against Manchester United and Swansea City which lacked the necessary spirit and character of an Arsenal side, this draw at White Hart Lane epitomised everything that The Arsenal is all about.

1-0 up and cruising at the home of their neighbours, it all looked to be going wrong early in the second half when Francis Coquelin was shown a second yellow card for a nonsensical challenge on Harry Kane. The two Spurs' goal which followed in space of less than two minutes appeared to not only seal this result but also end once and for all the Gunners title challenge.

But from out nowhere this much criticised Arsenal side dug deep to draw level, and in the end they might even have snatched all three points. Football, eh? Bloody hell!!

Wenger was understandably delighted with the point but also disappointed it was not more. He said: “It was vital for us [to get something] today. We come out of the match with regrets as I couldn't see how we would drop points when we were 1-0 up and 11 against 11.

“After the shock of going down to ten men and then down 2-1 and we have shown a great response again to all the people who doubt our character.”

Spurs' boss, Mauricio Pochettino, felt his side had thrown it away. He said: “I think yes it is [a missed opportunity]. We feel disappointed for the last ten or fifteen minutes but we need to recognise too that the effort from our players was fantastic.

“I think we played much better than Arsenal and we created more chances. We tried to push and score the third goal but we took risks and unluckily for us they scored for 2-2.”

This was billed as the biggest North London derby in history and the day the power shift was meant to finally move from N5 to N17.

But Wenger's side had not read the script. Despite a nervy start in which David Ospina, in for the injured Petr Cech for his first Premier League appearance of the season, produced a smart save to deny Eric Lamela, Arsenal grew into the match.

And just before half time, they grabbed an unlikely lead with a goal of real beauty. Danny Welbeck did well down the left and when his low cross found Hector Bellerin, the Spaniard's pass was neatly back-heeled into the net by Aaron Ramsey.

The Welshman has been criticised in recent weeks for a series of poor performances in a central midfield role, and his selection on the right here ahead of midweek goalscorer, Joel Campbell, was a shock. But he does have goals in him and this moment perfectly illustrated what he brings to this team.

But when Coquelin, impressive up until then, sliced down Kane on the near touchline just ten minutes into the second half to receive a second yellow card from referee Michael Oliver, it looked all over for Wenger's men.

Indeed within five minutes, Toby Alderweireld had fired Spurs level from a corner poorly defended by Arsenal, and when Kane then curled home a delicious second after a mistake from the otherwise outstanding Per Mertersacker, it sent Pochettino's side to the top of the Premier League table.

With so much written about Arsenal's supposed lack of character and spirit there appeared to be no way back. But perhaps aided by a home side who appeared to not quite be able to believe the position they now found themselves in, the ten men drew level with fourteen minutes left.

Again Bellerin created the opportunity with a lovely ball into the area and Alexis Sanchez, another to have been off the boil in recent matches, whipped a first-time shot across Hugo Lloris into the far corner of the net to send the travelling fans behind the goal into ecstasy.

In fact Wenger's men, character and spirit very much to the fore, almost won it in stoppage time. Ramsey, who had covered every blade of grass, made one last lung-bursting run into the penalty area but just as he looked set to fire home, Kevin Wimmer got across to deflect his effort over the top.

So a draw; a result that does not really help either side. Leicester City, who won at Watford, have increased their lead at the top to five points with just nine games remaining. Arsenal are a further three adrift.

Of course nothing is decided yet. In this of all seasons it is impossible to predict what twists and turns lie ahead. But you certainly get the feeling that this was a big chance missed for Spurs. It is over twenty years since they last finished above their neighbours in the Premier League. A win here would have given them a six point advantage. Low on confidence and down to ten men, Arsenal was there for the taking.

This is potentially the best chance either of these two sides will get to win the title but on this evidence neither look capable of doing so.

Spurs' problems seem to be tiredness from a long season, not helped by a small squad and a run in the Europa League, and an over-reliance on Kane. The 22-year old Englishman has undoubted talent: 51 goals in his last 91 appearances demonstrates that.

But he also wastes plenty of opportunities for his team with a shoot on sight policy, often refusing to pass to a better positioned team mate if he thinks there is a minuscule chance of him scoring. When it comes off, as it did spectacularly here, everything appears rosy. But all too often good moves break down with a poor shot from a tight angle when a pass would have been the better option.

Arsenal, on the other hand, can take a lot of encouragement from this spirited comeback. A good result against Spurs often leads to a strong run in, and they will certainly need one if they are to haul back the leaders.

With more attacking options than any of their title rivals, Manchester City excluded, it would be foolish to bet against the Gunners. But they will possibly need seven wins from their last nine matches, a big ask when you consider the fact that they have failed to win more than three in a row since October.

So in a season with not one outstanding side, this title is literally anyone's. Good for the neutral, perhaps, but possibly not good for the game in this country as a whole. Not that either of these two North London rivals will care about that should they lift the trophy in May.  

Another home defeat to Swansea; the point of no return?

ARSENAL 1 SWANSEA CITY 2

By Ricky Butler

WHEN A TEAM is battling for the title the minimum you expect is to see a bit fighting spirit on the pitch. But this meek surrender to a weakened Swansea City side was painful to watch.

You could point to the fact that we hit the woodwork three times. Or that Mesut Ozil was fouled in the build up to the Swans' first goal. Or that Ashley Williams' winner was offside. But none of that can disguise the fact that this performance was nowhere near good enough.

After a bright start which had seen the recalled Joel Campbell give us an early lead, we completely fell apart after the Swansea equaliser. The players seem to lack not only confidence but also direction.

I actually think the problem is that Arsene Wenger has them believing that they are better than they actually are. So when things don't go well and we get turned over by poor sides like Swansea, the players are looking around wondering what the hell is going on.

Aaron Ramsey is case in point. Apart from half a season back at the start of 2013-14, the guy has been poor since his dreadful injury yet Wenger insists on picking him every week. Clearly this sends out the message that he must be doing okay.

Yes, Ramsey has lots of energy and covers an incredible amount of ground. He can make some great, late runs into the box. But he can't do the basics such as pass to a team-mate, tackle or shoot. He wants to play centrally yet when he has done so he looks out of his depth and gives the ball away more than any other player.

We have missed Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere, there is no doubt about that. Both can carry the ball in midfield, drive us forward, something neither Ramsey nor Francis Coquelin are capable of doing. New signing Mohammed Elneny could fulfil that role yet Wenger rarely uses him.

Alexis Sanchez is another to be suffering at the moment. In fact bar a run of five or six games in the autumn, he has been poor all season. This match summed up his recent problems. A simple first half chance and he completely missed his kick. This is a world class player and not for the first time in recent games, he fails to connect with the ball.

Wenger has said he is just coming back from injury and needs time to regain his sharpness, yet he has played several games now and appears to getting progressively worse with each one.

I have always supported the manager despite the evidence piling up against him. But even I am struggling now. The decision to take off Campbell last night, easily our best player, was baffling. Wenger said he was looking tired having not played a for a while. But that's only because you have failed to pick him, Wenger, despite the poor form of Alexis and Theo Walcott.

In his 70 minutes against Swansea, the Costa Rican had more influence on the match than either Sanchez or Walcott have had in the last 10 put together.

Danny Welbeck, a scorer in his two league matches since returning from injury, started on the bench. Why? Surely he needs game time, like Alexis, to get back to full match fitness.

It is just baffling.

The frustrating thing is we were playing so well before Christmas. We had the best record in the calendar year of 2015. Most wins, most points, most goals scored. But the 4-0 defeat at Southampton on Boxing Day seems to have derailed our season, just like the heavy defeat at Liverpool did two years ago.

Our home form has not been great either. From the opening day defeat against West Ham we have rarely hit the heights at Emirates. We have scored just 19 league goals at home, less than Newcastle United. On just two occasions have we scored more than twice in a match at home.

In all fairness we could play this game against Swansea 10 times and we'd win nine. If either Sanchez or Olivier Giroud had scored in the first half instead of hitting the woodwork, we would have won comfortably. But as soon as we conceded the confidence ebbed away.

So when we went 2-1 down with a little over fifteen minutes to play, instead of rising to the challenge and throwing everything at Swansea, we retreated into our shell. Players who earlier in the season where giving their all to ensure we got the result were scared to take a chance.

No balls were put into the box for Giroud to attack. Too many square passes and no movement. This was not the performance of a team who believes they can win the title. It was the performance of a team lacking leadership and direction.

Successful teams, and by successful I mean teams that win titles, roll up their sleeves up when things go against them. Playing poorly we can all accept. But giving up? No way.

And so on to Spurs. Knowing us, we will probably go there and win, giving us all false hope again. But I won't be fooled. I said back in 2013 that I believed this group would win the title by 2016. I honestly thought they would. I felt they were growing together as a squad and with the additions of Ozil, Sanchez and Petr Cech, we had the world class players we had been lacking.

Back-to-back FA Cup wins convinced me even more that this would be our year. The collapse of Chelsea and Manchester City merely strengthened that belief. But I have now conceded defeat. I was wrong. For all their ability, and despite recent performances they do have plenty of ability, they will never have the mental toughness required to win the title. And for that Wenger must take the blame.

So as much as it pains me to say it, it is now time for change. I love Wenger and really hope that he can go out on a high. He deserves that. A record third straight FA Cup win would be a great way to go. 20 years that has seen some unimaginable highs should not end with the whimper of another failed title challenge.

I am old enough to remember the demise of George Graham. This current situation reminds me of that. A team drifting along going nowhere fast. A manager running out of ideas. It was said Graham went due to the 'bung' he received but that was merely an excuse to get rid of a manager who had gone stale.

We were all upset for a while but we supported the club and soon we were rewarded with the genius that was Wenger. We have now come full circle and I have no doubt we will be rewarded again.

Wenger, your players have let you down but you must take responsibility. The same mistakes are being made, week in, week out, season after season. A fresh approach is needed. I'm sorry it has come to this but, bye bye, Arsene, and thanks for the memories. The King is dead, long live the King...

Hope still springs eternal

HOPE. As a football fan this is the worst feeling you can have. After the last gasp win over Leicester City a fortnight ago had given us renewed hope, this defeat at Manchester United has taken it away again.

And the match itself was littered with false hope. Danny Welbeck's goal just before half time to pull it back to 2-1 gave us hope that we would see a second half comeback. Then Mesut Ozil's strike immediately after United had scored their third. With more than twenty minutes still to play, hope was raised for a late comeback. But once again it never materialised.

Overall though it has to be said this was not the performance of potential champions. We rarely produce at Old Trafford at the best of times, last year's FA Cup success being the only recent exception, but I think most of us would have accepted defeat if we had at least shown the heart and desire required at this stage of a title race.

Personally I would have to question some of Arsene Wenger's team selections. For a game of this magnitude you have to start with your best central defensive partnership. After a very good performance against Barcelona in midweek, why was Per Mertersacker left out here? Apart from being our only natural leader on the pitch, the German's understanding with Laurent Koscielny would have been vital in a game like this.

The fact that Mertersacker's replacement, Gabriel, was at fault for the crucial opening goal merely confirmed the error in Wenger's decision. And it was a lack of understanding and communication between the two centre halfs that resulted in United's second goal just a few moments later. Gabriel has his qualities but having just returned from injury was it really wise to throw him straight back in at Old Trafford?

The other poor decision from Wenger was not to start with Olivier Giroud. While his recent goalscoring record has been poor, without a goal in his previous eight appearances, the Frenchman is the pivotal point of our attack. His aerial strength combined with ability to hold the ball up, keep possession and utilise the pace of Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez would have given us an extra option.

Instead Wenger went with the one-dimensional Theo Walcott. I am not sure what has happened to Theo but since returning from injury he has been very poor. Apart from vital goals against Manchester City and Leicester, his contribution has been minimal and he looks shot of all confidence.

I did feel sorry for him here as the service to him was virtually non-existent, which makes his selection over Giroud all the more baffling. If you have a player like Walcott in the side you have to play to his strengths and we just did not do that. Perhaps starting him and Welbeck together, two very similar players in terms of style if not commitment, was the problem, leaving us with a lack of variety in the final third.

It should be pointed out that we came up against a young and hungry United side who were playing with no fear and no pressure. In the relatively unknown Marcus Rashford they have a real star in the making and it was typical of our luck that just like Wayne Rooney a few years ago, he decided to announce himself to the world against us.

We looked jaded and lacking sharpness but we played with the fear that has been evident since the mauling at Southampton on Boxing Day. We look scared to really express ourselves until we have gone a goal up and whenever we fall behind we seem to panic and run out of ideas.

The frustrating thing is that on paper at least we have the squad to win the title. We seem to have the right mix of youth and experience, and we have big players down the spine of the team; Petr Cech, Mertersacker, Francis Coquelin, Ozil and Sanchez. Yet when it really matters we lack leadership on the pitch and perhaps more importantly, in the dugout.

Wenger has never been one for ranting and raving, except towards the officials or opposition managers, and it is perhaps this which has been our undoing. He has always expected the players to take responsibility and when he had the likes of Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Partick Vieira, Thierry Henry etc. that was fine. They knew what was required and they delivered.

But in recent years the players have not had that same winning mentality. They have been able to put it together for the odd game as has been demonstrated by the recent FA Cup successes and the games against Manchester City and Leicester, but when the heat of as title race is on, they continue to come up short. All too often when we reach Spring and the clocks go forward, our title chances go backwards.

How many of this squad can you say are genuine winners? Cech, obviously. Merterascker, perhaps. Ozil, Sanchez, Welbeck, Giroud? They have all won big trophies in the past. But too many of the others seem to lack the mental strength to finish the job.

But I am not writing us off just yet. We have a tough midweek game against our bogey side, Swansea City, but this is a game I would expect us to win. Then we go to White Hart Lane on Saturday lunchtime in a game where nothing less than three points will do.

For all Leicester's plaudits this season, Spurs are the real threat. As much as it pains me to say it they have been the best side in the league over the last couple of months and have hit form at just the right time. I actually admire the way they have been playing football. They have a vibrant young team and a manager who knows how to get the best out of them. I feel dirty for saying it but if we can't win the title then I would rather they did. Better than the plastic money of Manchester City or the physical, long ball approach of Leicester.

But we simply have to beat them. Despite my claims about us lacking bottle, we have tended to win the big games this season. Let's hope this is a run we can continue. Yes, a win would raise those hopes again but after this latest disappointment I will take that chance. After all the clocks don't change for another four weeks! 

It's all a little Messi for Arsenal again

ARSENAL 0 BARCELONA 2

By Ricky Butler at the Emirates

ARSENAL ARE all but out of the Champions League at the round of 16 for the sixth year in a row after two late goals from Lionel Messi last night gave Barcelona a 2-0 win at the Emirates.

This was not a classic performance by the Spanish champions by any means and for more than an hour Arsene Wenger's side had the better chances. But in the end it was inevitably that man Messi, as he so often does, who proved to be the difference.

Having suffered poor first leg performances at this stage in recent years, Arsenal at least proved they have learned the lessons of the past. In fact had Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, selected ahead of Theo Walcott for his defensive duties, or Olivier Giroud, taken the chances that came their way either side of half time, Wenger's men may well have had a lead to take to the Nou Camp.

But as soon as the Gunners were caught on the counter attack with less than 20 minutes to play, there was only ever going to be one winner. Messi had been having one of his least effective performances until then, but aided by the work of Neymar and Luis Suarez, the little Argentinian displayed a cool head to fire past the exposed Petr Cech, his first goal against the giant Cech in seven previous attempts.

Suarez then hit the post before Messi won a penalty for a clumsy challenge by substitute Mathieu Flamini, who had only been on the field for 49 seconds. Messi made no mistake from 12 yards to all but end Arsenal's interest in the competition once again.

Yet it could have been so different. Happy to concede possession early on, Arsenal always looked threatening on the break and just past the 20 minute mark they should have taken the lead. It was a lovely move involving Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil and when Hector Bellerin's shot was blocked, Oxlade-Chamberlain was left with an open goal. A little composure was needed but instead the Englishman mis-kicked his shot straight into the body of stricken Barca goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegan.

Giroud was slightly more unfortunate. His second half header was destined for the bottom corner of the net until ter Stegan got down smartly to his right to claw the ball away.

So for all their improvements the result for Arsenal was the same. Having won second legs away in Bayern Munich and Monaco in recent years, all may not quite be lost for Wenger side. But few would back them to score three times next month in the Nou Camp.

In any case it is possible that an early Champions League exit may benefit them in the long run. With a tough Premier League run in to come and a possible third straight FA Cup success still a possibility, Arsenal still have much to play for domestically.

Worryingly, however, is a lack of goals. This is the fifth time in the last eight matches that they have failed to score. The goals are drying up at the wrong time of the season and unless the trend is broken quickly their season could be over before the clocks go forward.

As for Barca well they look simply unstoppable. If you can stop Messi, as Arsenal did well for the most part, you have Suarez to deal with. If you keep him quite then there is Neymar. No team on the planet can live with that.

Next up for the Gunners is the small matter of a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday. How they respond to this set-back will shape the rest of their season.

WWF - Walcott and Welbeck outfox the Foxes

ARSENAL 2 LEICESTER CITY 1

By Ricky Butler at Emirates Stadium

Danny Welbeck heads a dramatic late Arsenal winner

LEICESTER CITY have rightly earned plaudits this season for a remarkable series of results that have defied all the odds.

With a unique blend of bargain basement buys and Premier League rejects, the Foxes have spent most of the season near the top of the table.

They certainly do not have the best group of players in the league but they work hard for each other, have an incredible team spirit, and play to their strengths. They press the ball early and make quick transitions from defence to attack with long balls into space for the pacey Jamie Vardy.

In essence it is a slightly more sophisticated version of the 1980s Wimbledon Crazy Gang. Yet while Dave Bassett's Dons were vilified in the press and hated by the football world, this Leicester side seem to have won the hearts of the nation.

Yet on Valentine's Day at the Emirates, it was not exactly flowers and chocolates. Leicester are not called the Foxes for nothing. They have a wiliness about them which has helped them win the most penalties in the Premier League this season; ten, which is double the number of anyone else.

Many of those have been awarded for 'fouls' on Vardy, and it is easy to see why. The former Fleetwood man, with 19 goals this season, has a tendency to fall down in the box at the faintest of touches, belying the strength he displays when outside the penalty area.

Ignoring the fact that Wes Morgan had fouled Mesut Ozil at the start of the move that led to the 44^th minute penalty award here, Nacho Monreal actually pulled out of the challenge with Vardy. But the Leicester front man, as he so often does, wrapped his leg around the Spaniard's and fell over him.

You can dress it up however you like but the fact is it is diving and cheating. Referee Martin Atkinson, who had handled the pretty game well until then, fell for it hook, line and sinker, and Leicester not only had the lead but where closing in on an eight point advantage at the top of the table.

A game which had been bubbling just beneath the surface in the first half suddenly sprang to life. Arsenal felt a sense of injustice and Atkinson clearly felt a sense of guilt. That can be the only explanation as to why at the start of the second period he decided to produce two yellows in quick succession for Danny Simpson.

Matches of this magnitude should not be decided by the ineptitude of the referee. Atkinson made an error just before the break but to then compound that with another just after the restart is unforgivable. But what will be done about it? Nothing. And Atkinson will no doubt be back in the middle next weekend.

Down to ten men Leicester reverted to full 1980's Wimbledon mode. Tactical fouls, time wasting, and long ball after long ball in the vague direction of Vardy, presumably hoping he'd once again fall over.

Arsenal always used to struggle against the Crazy Gang and it seemed that would be the case against Claudio Ranieri's modern reincarnation as chance after chance went begging. But in the final twenty minutes, it was Arsene Wenger's substitutes that turned the match, and title race, in the direction of North London.

Theo Walcott has a good record against Leicester but his recent form had been such that he rightly started this encounter on the bench. Yet when he reacted quickly to a sublime knock down from Olivier Giroud to fire past the excellent Kasper Schmichael, he showed his value to this team.

Now it was just a matter of whether Leicester's ten men could hold on. They couldn't. Over the years Manchester United often won games in the final few seconds when they hadn't been at their best. Everyone says that is what wins you titles.

It was fitting therefore that the winner should come from a player who was brought up at United and who was making his first appearance for almost 10 months following a knee injury. Danny Welbeck's stoppage time header not only gave this match a fitting climax but showed that Arsenal do have the mental strength to go on and win the Premier League.

Of course Leicester still lead the way but that eight point half time advantage is now down to just two. The ultimate six-pointer.

With a break for the FA Cup and then Champions League, Arsenal return to Premier League action at the end of the month with another big game at Old Trafford. Win there and perhaps the doubters will be convinced.

As for the wily old Foxes, well they have two very winnable home matches to come against Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion. But it is how they react to this disappointment that will be key. Having put so much energy into the match, to come away with nothing will be a devastating blow.

No doubt the wave of public support will continue but this is where the pressure really starts. The run in. Twelve cup finals to play. Wimbledon only ever got so far on guts and bravado. The question now is; do Leicester have more than that?

The next few weeks will give us the answer.

EBAC NORTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION TWO

DARLINGTON RA 1 SOUTH SHIELDS 3

By Ricky Butler at Brinkburn Road

IT WAS a case of the haves versus the have nots at Brinkburn Road last night as Ebac Northern League big spenders South Shields met the paupers from Darlington RA.

But for much of the contest it was hard to tell which was which. The RA paid the price for soft goals conceded at the start of each half to Lewis Teasdale and Adam Sakr, while substitute Christian Holliday's late effort came just moments after Barrie Smith had put the visitors 3-0 ahead.

Despite having one of the lowest budgets in the league, RA manager,Warren Moncur, was delighted with the spirit shown by his side. He said: “In patches I thought we were excellent tonight. I thought we worked our socks off.

“I'm not pleading poverty but for a team that hasn't got any money against the money men of the Northern League, I thought it was quite an even game.

“We gave an early goal away in the first half, an early goal in the second half, but apart from that I didn't think there was much in it.”

RA had been in the promotion race themselves before Christmas. But a poor run since the turn of the year had seen them drop down to eighth. Shields on the other hand, with enough money to attract ex Sunderland and Middlesbrough midfielder, Julio Arca, to Mariners Park, knew a win would take them nine points clear at the top.

Argentinian Arca, who played over 300 games in a 13 year professional career in the North-East, plays a slightly deeper role these days. But at 35 he is still able to dictate the pace of the game and came close to scoring here with a trademark first half free kick.

But Shields were already on their way by then. Just three minutes had elapsed when Adam Sakr's low cross from the right was turned home by Lewis Teasdale. A scrappy finish, perhaps, but a vital, early goal for the leaders.

That led to a dominant first half display from Shields. Stephen Ramsey headed narrowly wide in the 5^th minute while Sakr and John Grey were then both denied by a fine double save from RA goalkeeper, Phil Pentony.

The first chance for the hosts did not arrive until the 33^rd minute when Stephen Cheeseman's shot from a tight angle was deflected into the side netting. But moments later Arca was denied a goal on his return to Teesside as Pentony saved his free kick.

While it was only 1-0 the RA felt they were still very much in the game but all that changed within three minutes of the restart. Hesitance in the home defence was punished by the quick thinking of Sakr, who pounced to beat the exposed Pentony.

The home goalkeeper was being kept busy as he denied Teasdale a second, but the departure of Arca on the hour gave the RA fresh impetus.

Shields goalkeeper Gareth Young did well to keep out a free kick from the dangerous Jim Wilson, the hosts' first effort on target, but it was another save from Young which began the break that led to the leaders adding the killer third goal.

Young's punched clearance found substitute Danny Carson and his ball released Teasdale, who in turn found defender Smith. Showing the touch and finish of a striker, Smith rounded Pentony before squeezing the ball home from a tight angle.

Almost immediately however, the RA were rewarded for their improved second half display. Young denied Wilson again before a goalmouth scramble ended with substitute Holliday firing in from close range.

It would have been a nervy finish for Shields had Young not then denied Sam England and substitute Jon Pearson as the RA finished strongly, but the leaders held on for an important three points.

Shields assistant manager, Gary Middleton, was satisfied with his team's performance. He said: “This is always a difficult place to come, especially on a Tuesday night. The pitch wasn't very good but you have to come to places like this and put in a good performance.

“We asked the players get out of the traps quickly, which they did. I thought we took our foot off the pedal for the last twenty minutes of the first half but overall I am very pleased.”

In Valentine's week they say money can't buy you love but it certainly can buy you a decent Northern League side. So while Shields will surely continue to march serenely into Division One, and from there who knows where, little RA will keep trying to defy the odds.

DARLINGTON RA – Pentony 8, Leven 6, Grocott 6, Johnson 7, Weston 7, Cheesman 8, Wilson(N) 7, Kokes 6, England 7, Wilson(J 7, Hanratty 8. SUBS – Wood 6, Holliday 7, Pearson 7, Ward N/A.

SOUTH SHIELDS – Young 7, Smith 8, Grey 7, Hassan 7, Riding 8, Briggs 7, Sakr 8, Arca 8, Ramsay 7, Teasdale 7, Phillips 7. SUBS – Carson 7, Kanda 6, Hall 6, Turner N/A, Pocklington N/A.

REFEREE – Jamie Cann 7 - Controlled the game well

Stoke City 0 - 0 Arsenal

By Richard Butler

STOKE AWAY. Two words that install fear into every Arsenal fan. How can one team and one ground have caused us so many sleepless nights over the years?

Of course this is not the same physical, long ball Stoke team of the Tony Pulis era. But while they play much better football these days under Mark Hughes, the presence of Ryan Shawcross in the team means events from the past will never quite be forgotten.

But the improved spectacle now being offered at the Britannia is wasted on these home fans. They are stuck in a 1980s time-warp. The sick chanting and booing aimed at Aaron Ramsey, who's only crime is to have had his leg shattered by that thug Shawcross, showed the Stoke fans for what they really are; uneducated morons.

This was not Ramsey's best game of the season, in the circumstances how could it have been, but the way he has fought back from such an horrendous, career threatening injury deserves respect. The guy has developed into one of the best box-to-box midfielders in European football and has, of course, scored the winning goal in an FA Cup final.

This summer he will playing for Wales in the European Championships, the first time his country has qualified for a major tournament since 1958, and it was the performances of Ramsey that went a long way to helping them achieve that goal.

Shawcross, on the other hand, is stealing a living as a professional footballer. He has been described as an old fashioned centre half. Basically this means he would not look out of place in local, park football. But I have seen much better players than him playing in Sunday League.

Apparently the main reason for the Stoke fans hostility towards Ramsey was his refusal to accept a written apology sent to him by Shawcross in the aftermath of that 'tackle' in 2010. But by accepting the apology it would have been condoling that kind of behaviour on the pitch.

And it is not like Shawcross has learnt from it. Over the years I have still seen him flying into tackles and injuring other players with his recklessness. So, Stoke fans, if you really want to boo anyone, boo Shawcross. The guy is a disgrace. But then again you deserve each other.

But I digress...

Coming just four days after a tough trip to Liverpool, and missing the creative genius of Mesut Ozil, this was always going to be a big ask.

In the past we would have capitulated. Indeed the corresponding fixture here just over a year ago saw us 3-0 down at half time. But this team has a tougher, more resilient look to it these days. And in the final reckoning this could well go down as a very good point.

Lets remember that Manchester City were blown away here a few weeks ago. Chelsea and Manchester United were also beaten, while Leicester were held to a draw. None of the big sides ever find it easy here.

So in sub-zero temperatures and with a hostile home crowd this was all about standing up and being counted. It was a test we passed with flying colours.

In fact had it not been for two great saves by Stoke goalkeeper, Jack Butland, either side of the break, both to deny Olivier Giroud, we would have got the result we wanted.

The first chance, just before half time, was the big one. In a game like this the first goal is vital, and had we gone in front at that stage there is no doubt we would have gone on to win.

As has been the case in recent weeks the chance was created by Joel Campbell. Needing someone to step up in the absence of Alexis Sanchez, the Costa Rican has done just that with a series of top quality performances.

But when his lovely defence-splitting pass had sent Giroud clear, the Stoke goalkeeper was out quickly to deny the Frenchman. Cue the same old 'Arsenal need a world class striker' cliché.

But Giroud did very little wrong. He opened up his body well as Butland came out and was simply denied but a very good save. We could have spent £90 million on another striker in the transfer window but there is no guarantee that they would have scored in that same situation.

Giroud's second half header was also unlucky. Again Butland showed his international pedigree with a smart save down to his left. Sometimes you just have to praise the goalkeeper. On another day both chances would have gone in and Giroud would have been the hero. But that is the life of a striker.

Talking about goalkeepers. The £10m Arsene Wenger invested in Petr Cech last summer might just prove to be the best £10m ever spent. You do not realise the importance of a world class goalkeeper until you actually have one. And Cech is still one of the best in the business.

His double save in the second half not only ensured we left here with a point but also showed his value to this team. Without Ozil, Sanchez, Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin, Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck, we lacked the creativity to win the game. But without Cech we would have lost it. And in the final analysis that could prove to be the difference between finishing first and second in such a tight title race.

So despite only two points out of a possible six over the last week or so it is hard to feel too disappointed. The frustration is over the late goal conceded at Anfield as four points would have been an exceptional return from two such tough away games.

But two is by no means a disaster. We are still top and have played two home games less than City. With their away form even more shaky than ours, that could just prove crucial in the final reckoning.

It was suggested that we may have better winning at Anfield and losing here as three points is better than two. But I believe not losing either game will be far more important in the long run. Avoiding defeat at Stoke is also a sign that this group have grown together this season.

With some key players due to return imminently things are looking good. Beat Chelsea at the Emirates next Sunday and that momentum could well propel us over the line.

And who knows, in May we may well look back on Stoke away as the game that won us the title!  

Liverpool 3 - 3 Arsenal

By Richard Butler

TWO POINTS dropped or one point gained? That is the question following this exciting draw at Anfield last night. 

Of course  it is disappointing when you concede a last minute equaliser. But over the 90 minutes there is no doubt that a draw was the most we deserved.

Two years ago we arrived at Anfield sitting on top of the league and were favourites to lift the title. But after a poor start that day we were blown away, 5-1. That result was the start of a mid-season collapse that saw us drop out of the title race. A couple of weeks later we lost 6-0 at Chelsea. After the opening twenty minutes last night, I feared a repeat was on the cards.

But this Arsenal side are made of sterner stuff. Not only did we twice draw level before half time, and all this despite not playing particularity well, but early in the second half we even managed to get our noses in front.

At that stage it looked as though we would go on to take a very important three points. But the longer the game wore on the more likely a Liverpool equaliser became, and although disappointing, it was not really a shock when Joe Allen scored in the final minute. It had been coming.

It is strange how often there is a late goal when we play Liverpool at Anfield. Of course none is more famous than the one Mickey Thomas scored in 1989, but in recent years there have been several.

We lost to an injury time goal in 2004; in the 4-4 draw in 2009 both sides scored in the last minute; in 2012 Robin van Persie scored a late winner; while last year Liverpool equalised in the 97^th minute. So we should have known what to expect.

Many fans were bemoaning the substitutions but hindsight is a wonderful thing. If we'd kept a more attacking line up searching for the 4^th goal and conceded, Arsene Wenger would have criticized for not shutting up shop.

He made defensive substitutions in a bid to shore things up and he gets accused of sitting back and inviting pressure. Unless we win every single game it seems some people will never be satisfied.

But it is hard to criticize anyone last night. It was simply one of the games of the season. From first minute to last it was played at a high tempo and was more like a basketball match. Real end-to-end stuff with a strange mixture of Champions League attacking coupled with Sunday League defending.

It led to an exciting game but possibly explains why English clubs have had such a poor recent record in the Champions League.

So while it has to be looked on as two points dropped, I prefer to look at the positives. Manchester City were held at home by Everton, Spurs lost and we are still top of the table with one game less for the others to catch us.

And what about the performance of Olivier Giroud. He gave a master-class in centre forward play. Okay so he missed an open goal in the first half, just after he had made it 2-2, but he did what all great strikers do; he made up for it with a goal of real quality.

The turn and finish to put us 3-2 ahead was the touch of a genius. Roberto Firmino, who had scored twice early on for Liverpool, tried a similar thing just before the break, but his effort hit the top of the crossbar. Giroud showed him how it should be done.

Of course we needed a fourth goal. I always felt we had gone in front too early. We were stuck in a dilemma; go for the killer goal or hold on to what we had. And once Christian Benteke came on I feared the worst. Not because he is particularly good or that he has ever done much against us in the past, but because it gave Liverpool an outlet.

So it was no real surprise when the big Belgium created the late equaliser, heading down for Allen to score.

If I am being over-critical I would say Petr Cech was slow reacting and should have pushed it around the post. But the guy has saved us so many times this season that that would be extremely harsh. So instead I will blame the wet pitch which added pace to the ball. And Hector Bellerin who was obscuring his view.

But despite the late drama many positives came from the performance. Aaron Ramsey once again showed how much more effective he is playing centrally. In the absence of Santi Cazorla, the Welshman has scored four times in 10 matches. From the same position, Cazorla has not scored in open play for more than a year.

The way he took his goal last night; the third man run into the area and instant finish, is what we miss when he is stuck out wide. As good as Cazorla has been I would like to see him pushed wide on his return, possibly in place of the off form Theo Walcott.

In fact since we lost Cazorla, Francis Coquelin and Alexis Sanchez to injury in November we have won seven out of nine matches in all competitions and lost just once. The squad, it seems, is far stronger than it was given credit for.

The emergence of Joel Campbell has been a major feature of those matches. Again last night he was magnificent. Adding creativity to work rate, his performances have meant that we have hardly missed Sanchez at all. In fact now that Sanchez is fit again it would actually be a risk to drop Campbell.

His two assists at Anfield showed exactly what he brings to the team. And rarely can a player have given so much for the cause. Giroud was awarded man of the match but Campbell was surely not far behind.

So another potentially tough away game is out of the way. But its straight on to another this weekend with the trip to Stoke City. It is extremely harsh of the fixture computer to give us these two away matches back-to-back in the same week, while City have two at home, but that is the way it is.

While traditionally we have struggled at Stoke, I am confident this time will be different. We now have a mental strength in the squad sadly lacking in previous years and we have the quality to get the result we need.

 

Often when we have been poor defensively this season we have really tightened up in the next match. I can see a much more cagey affair at the Britannia with us nicking it 1-0. Four points from these two away matches would be a great return and set us up nicely for the title run in.

So back to the question posed at the start: two points dropped or one point gained? I guess only time will tell.