Arsenal season review 2011-12.

Having finished 4th with 68 points in 2010-11, Arsenal lost their two most influential players with the new season about to begin. The departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri threw the club into chaos and led to their worst start in nearly 60 years. Indeed, the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford at the end of August was their heaviest loss since 1899 and they slumped into the bottom four.

Yes, that really was the score!

After 16 years in charge, Arsene Wenger was at a crossroads. Fans were losing patience as the glory days of the early 2000's were now just a distant memory, and the press were saying the club were in crisis. Under pressure, Wenger went into the transfer market on deadline day - bringing in Mikel Arteta, Andre Santos and Yossi Benayoun - but many felt these were the actions of a desperate man.

Yet slowly the new-look team began to gel. A run of only one defeat in 12 Premier League games from October until the turn of the year - including an incredible 5-3 win at Stamford Bridge - sent the club back into the race for a top 4 finish. The only disappointment in this period being a 1-0 Carling Cup quarter final defeat at the hands of Manchester City.

Arteta, in particular, was proving to be an inspired signing as his performances in midfield eased the loss of Fabregas and Nasri, while the form and goals of new captain Robin van Persie suggested the crisis had been averted.

Mikel Arteta - an inspired signing

It was van Persie himself who illuminated the club's 125th Anniversary match against Everton in December with a sublime volleyed winner, impressing the watching Thierry Henry - back at The Emirates on the day his statue was unveiled outside the ground.

Henry was back in the news in the New Year when he returned to the club on loan from New York Red Bulls for six weeks. The clubs record goalscorer made an immediate impression with the winner against Leeds United in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, although the month also saw three straight league defeats to put a top 4 finish back in doubt.

The master returns

But with the injury problems that had blighted the season finally beginning to ease, the club hit top form. Blackburn were beaten 7-1 - van Persie striking a hat-trick and Henry on target again - while Henry then grabbed a last minute winner at Sunderland to lift the club back into the top 4 again.

Teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was making an impression of his own with a series of fine performances in midfield, but just as it seemed the corner had been turned, disaster struck.

A dreadful performance in Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League all-but ended their interest in the competition, while the FA Cup run was brought to an end in the 5th round at Sunderland three days later, where Oxlade-Chamberlain scored an unfortunate own goal.

Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrating a goal at the right end!

Despite being out-played for long periods at Anfield, another brace from van Persie secured three points before the turning point of the season arrived in the shape of the North London derby at The Emirates in late-February. Arsenal started the day 10 points behind their neighbours and defeat would have put the pressure back on Wenger and his team.

After a terrible start, which saw Spurs go 2-0 up in twenty minutes, Arsenal really turned on the style. Bacary Sagna and van Persie - with a wonderful strike - brought them level before the break, while an inspired Tomas Rosicky and a brace from Theo Walcott secured a memorable, and significant, 5-2 victory.

Tomas Rosicky celebrates putting Arsenal 3-2 up in the North London Derby

With confidence restored, Arsenal almost staged the greatest comeback in Champions League history. A wonderful first half performance, led by the superb Oxlade-Chamberlain, saw the club come close to over-turning the 4-0 first leg deficit against Milan, although they bowed out of the competition with their heads held high.

Three more league victories followed to lift the club up to 3rd and ram the 'Mind the gap' chants from the Spurs fans back down their throats. A 2-1 defeat at QPR showed the inconsistencies from earlier in the season had not completely disappeared, but a late Arteta goal brought three more points against a Manchester City side who would go on to lift the title. Three days later, a 3-0 win at bottom side Wolves sent Wenger's men five points clear of Spurs in 3rd place with just five matches remaining.

But an early injury to Arteta in the home match against Wigan Athletic threatened to de-rail the season. That shock 2-1 defeat led to a run of four matches without a win just at the wrong time. Third place looked to have gone when Norwich hit a late equaliser at The Emirates in the final home match of the season, but Spurs could only draw at Aston Villa the following day so a win at WBA on the final weekend would secure Champions League football for the 15th year in a row.

In a tense afternoon at The Hawthorns, Arsenal got the required result - with a little help from stand-in Albion goalkeeper Marton Fulop - in a match that summed up the season as a whole. After taking an early lead, the Gunners soon found themselves behind before coming back to win 3-2 - the 6th time they had turned a deficit into a victory - and it proved vital as Chelsea's subsequent Champions League triumph meant 4th place would not have been good enough.

So, a season of highs and lows, ups and downs, actually finished with the club winning two more points than the previous campaign and finishing one place higher. Van Persie become only the second Arsenal player to score 30 Premier League goals in a season, landing him the Golden Boot along with the Players' Player and Football Writers Player of the Year awards.

The team may not have won a trophy but the skipper certainly did

But where do the club go from here? The signing of Lukas Podolski shows early intent, but with van Persie's contract now into it's final year, has he been brought in to replace for the skipper or play alongside him? Other signings are also needed, especially in defence and midfield, although new first team coach Steve Bould should help sort out the defensive frailties which have prevented the club really challenging over the last few years.

The coming two months could have a massive baring on the future of the club. Losing van Persie now would show a lack of ambition and surely condemn Arsenal to another trophyless season. But keep the talismatic Dutchman and add the extra quality around him and maybe, just maybe, the long wait for silverware could finally be over.

A (Haw) thorny end to the season?

The phrase 'biggest game of the season' is used far too often. The recent Manchester derby was, apparently, the biggest game in Premier League history. But then Manchester City's trip to Newcastle this weekend was suddenly even bigger!

No, the biggest games of the season are usually reserved for the final day, so Arsenal's trip to West Bromwich Albion this Sunday takes on that title for us. Yes, it really is the biggest game of the season.

With a lack of actual trophies, qualification for the Champions League is absolutely essential if the club are to turn potential into something tangible.

To be honest, if someone had offered us the chance to be third going into the final match back in September we would have snatched their hand off. After the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford, followed swiftly by a 4-3 loss at Blackburn, mid-table Liverpool-ocricy was all I could see for us.

The signing of Mikel Arteta on transfer deadline day back in August was probably the most significant event of the season for us, but his injury means we travel to WBA looking to win for the first time in the Premier League this season without him in the side. Of the eight matches he has missed so far, we have drawn 4 and lost 4. So the omens are against us.

On the plus side, we do have a decent record at The Hawthorns. I can only ever recall us losing there once (1-2 in 2005) although we had to come from behind to draw 2-2 last season, a result that probably will not be good enough this time.

Also, our performances in the last four matches have not been great. In fact, since going 2-0 up at Wolves inside 10 minutes just over a month ago, we have been poor. I thought we had turned the corner with a decent display at our nemesis, Stoke last week, but the sloppiness returned in Saturday's 3-3 draw with Norwich.

Quite how we are still third, having taken only three points from the last 12, says more about the teams around us than our own patchy form. Spurs have imploded, while Newcastle, for all their great performances, look as though they will fall short. Chelsea have had cup finals on their minds, while Liverpool, the club everyone predicted would take our place in the top 4, have been awful, or just plain unlucky if you listen to their fans.

Either way it is still in our hands and we have to make the most of it. We really do need to finish 3rd as I am convinced Chelsea will win the Champions League, meaning 4th place will only be good enough for the Europa League. Personally I would rather not be in Europe at all than play in that competition.

Ironically, the last time we went into the final match of the season with anything riding on it was in 2006, and again we were head-to-head with Spurs for the final Champions League spot. They held the one point advantage then, so we had to better their result at West Ham. That was, of course, the famous lasagne-gate, where several of the Spurs players were taken ill on the morning of the match and they lost 2-1, Yossi Benayoun getting one of the Hammers goals.

This time the roles are reversed, with us going into the match with a one point advantage. It is us going away to a team with West in their name, and the irony continues as Spurs face a Fulham side led by Martin Jol, the very man who in charge of Spurs back in 2006! I just hope we do not have lasagne on the menu on Saturday night!

Of course, I expect us to win. West Brom, while in good form, have nothing to play for. Plus, I have rarely seen Arsene Wenger so angry as he was after the way we conceded the late equaliser to Nowich on Saturday, so I expect us to be really fired up.

But of course, there is far more at stake for us. Although the news on the transfer front is good, with Podolski already in and M'Villa likely to follow, failure to make the Champions League could be the final straw in the van Persie saga. I am convinced a top three finish will be enough to make him stay, but finish outside the Champions League places and I can see him being tempted elsewhere. It's not about money for him but ambition. He is 28 years old, he needs to be playing for a club who can challenge for the top honours, and that means Premier League and Champions League.

So, we are all set for a tense afternoon in the West Midlands. Being Arsenal I would not be surprised if we go behind and have to do it the hard way, but as long as we have the right result come 5pm on Sunday, all will be forgiven.

My predictions;

Everton 2, Newcastle 1
Spurs 3, Fulham 2
WBA 1, Arsenal 3 (last minute 3rd on the break after hanging on at the end!)

A Holt to our Champions League hopes?

Arsenal 3 Norwich 3

I do not get the opportunity to take Emerson to The Emirates very often, so when my good mate Rob offered me two tickets to the final home game of the season against Norwich it was too good to turn down.

With a 12.45 kick off it meant an early start, so we set off from Darlington at 08.00. With the cheapest return train fare costing £156 I decided to drive to Peterborough and get the train from there.

The trip down the A1 was hassle-free and we arrived in Peterborough at 10.15, plenty of time to catch the 10.46 train to Finsbury Park. There were a mixture of Gooners, Norwich and Chelsea fans on the train, which made for a colourful and interesting journey. A group of Chelsea lads were making a day of it, going to the Arsenal match before then heading over to Covent Garden and on to Wembley. They seemed a decent enough bunch and were hoping to see an Arsenal win as they didn't want to see Spurs in the Champions League. Same here lads, same here.

We arrived at Finsbury Park at 11.54 and decided to pop into the Gunners Shop just outside the station as Emerson wanted a red and white scarf. A bargain, too, at £10.

We then set off up St. Thomas' Road before stopping at Piebury Corner for a quick bite to eat, enjoying the reggae music blasting out from the stand on the corner. I then bought a match programme and the latest copy of The Gooner fanzine before walking to the ground.

As Emerson had not seen the new statues, we had a quick stop off so he could acquaint himself with Tony Adams, Herbert Chapman and Thierry Henry before making our way inside the Home of Football.

Our seats were in the East Stand Lower Tier, halfway between the penalty area at the North Bank end and the halfway line, and the view was amazing. Emerson had never been in the lower tier before and was relieved that the seat in front of him was empty so he had a perfect view of the action.

Emerson in his seat with his new scarf

His pre-match prediction was a tense 2-1 win while I went for a rather more optimistic 6-1. Norwich have looked on their holidays in the last few weeks and I thought we would be up for this after the midweek results meant we simply had to win.

Things could not have started any better either, as we went ahead inside the first minute, just as we had on Emerson's last visit against Sunderland in October. Yossi Benayoun, on what could be his last appearance for us at the Emirates, cut in from the left before curling a marvellous shot into the top right hand corner of the net.

But that was about as good as it got until half time. We seemed to think the game was won and switched off, allowing Norwich back into it. They were level ten minutes in with a shot from Hoolihan which Sczcesney should have kept out, before taking the lead with a deflected effort from Grant Holt.

Ah, Grant Holt. Three years ago on this very weekend I saw him score for Shrewsbury against the Daggers in League Two and I am amazed he is now playing in the Premier League. What is even more amazing is that this was his 16th goal of the season. 16th! If he can score that many at this level then there is hope for us all.

More bad news followed as Bacary Sagna went down with a serious-looking injury which led to him being carried off on a stretcher, and we later learned he had broken his leg for the second time this season. Terrible news for the lad, who had been the best right back in the league this season.

Half time was spent reflecting on what had been an awful 45 minutes for us, made even worse by the woman next to me chatting incessantly on her phone about her dog, which was apparently barking in the garden and scaring her children! Perhaps she should have stayed at home to deal with that instead of being here then? Just a thought.

I was still confident we would turn it around as every time Emerson has been to the Emirates, Robin van Persie has scored twice, so I could see us winning this 3-2.

Robin, isolated up front.

After a shaky start to the second half, which almost saw Norwich go 3-1 ahead, we finally came to life. Gervinho, who had been getting a fair amount of stick up until then, suddenly began to get in behind the Canaries defence and looked the player we all hoped he would be.

Chamakh, who has been having a terrible time of it, came on for the once-again disappointing Ramsey, but he immediately made a difference, giving Robin the support he had been lacking up front. Hopefully this is the way it will next season, with Podolski playing this role, as Robin is desperate for more help up there.

But we were more excited by the arrival of The Ox, who replaced Benayoun, as Wenger really went for it. It was looking only a matter of time before we equalised as RvP missed two very good chances with unusually weak finishes, as we had the line of yellow defenders stretched time and again.

The equaliser eventually arrived fifteen minutes from time when Chamakh had an effort blocked and Song sent over a lovely ball for RvP to finish first time from ten yards. It is a combination that has worked so well this season and brought much relief to what was fast becoming a very restless crowd.

There was only going to one winner now and it looked as though it had arrived five minutes later. The ball fell to RvP in the area again, following a goalmouth scramble, and his shot went under Ruddy and into the roof of the net - his 30th league goal of the season. Queue delirium in our section, especially in the seat next to me as Emerson was going mental, manically waving his new scarf around his head! Once again he had seen his idol score twice. If only he came to every home match we would be Champions!

But we made the mistake of thinking the game was won, sat back, invited Norwich to come onto us, and paid the price when sub Morrison beat Szczesney from a tight angle six minutes from time. Very similar to the goal we conceded at Swansea in January soon after we had got ourselves level. Lessons again not learned. Frustration all around, apart from in the away section to our left, which was going as mad as we had a few minutes earlier.

We threw everything at them in the closing stages and how we didn't get the winner I will never know. Ruddy denied RvP and the Ox, while we should have had a penalty when Robin was clearly pushed in the back as he was about to tap into an empty net following a lovely cross from Ox. Quite how the referee and his assistant, the lovely Sian Massey, missed it was beyond us, but I guess we shouldn't have been too surprised as we have failed to be awarded a single penalty at home in the Premier League all season. Astonishing for a team who attacks as much as we do.

So, despite what had been a really exciting second half we had only drawn and apparently blown 3rd place. Surely Spurs will beat Villa tomorrow? I mean everyone else has beaten them lately.

It did lead to a rather subdued 'lap of appreciation' from the players at the end as most of the crowd had long since gone home. In fact many were streaming out with five minutes left with the score at 3-3. Honestly, what is the point in coming if you are not going to stay until the end? I can almost understand it at midweek games where you might need to catch a last train, but a Saturday lunchtime kick off? No excuses I'm afraid. And most were not even football tourists either, they were regular fans who have probably been coming to matches for years.

These are the same fans who will moan about the players showing a lack of commitment to the club yet they leave early and do not get behind the lads while they are there. If RvP leaves this summer perhaps all the fans who buggered off early and left the players to walk around a 3/4 empty stadium will be the reason. After the way the lads have reacted to adversity this season they deserved better. Damn it, Robin has been voted double footballer of the year, he deserved better.

But Emerson and I stayed to gave Robin a special clap as he walked past us with his children in tow. There is no doubt the guy loves this club but I couldn't help feeling this was his last goodbye. I really hope I am wrong but I fear this could have been his last match at The Emirates.

The last goodbye??

Emerson wanted to go on the Underground on the way back, so we walked to Highbury & Islington before catching the Victoria Line back to Finsbury Park. Although our train was not due until 16.25, we were there by 15.40 and a train was waiting for us at the platform.

We arrived back in Peterborough at 16.52 and I was really not looking forward to the two hour drive home now, but it was livened up by hearing Liverpool lose the FA Cup final on the radio. I could picture the Chelsea fans we saw on the train celebrating and I almost felt happy for them, even though it was only the lesser of two evils really. Emerson was slightly more philosophical, saying he was pleased Liverpool lost as they had already won the Carling Cup and it was good for someone else to win something! One day, I promised him, it would be us celebrating. Next year perhaps??

We finally got back to Darlington at 19.30, disappointed with the result but happy with what had been a good day out. I have not seen many more exciting 45 minutes of football than the second half, and if we had held on to win 3-2 it would have been perfect.

However, as it turned out Spurs only drew with Villa and Newcastle lost to Man. City so third place is still in our hands. Win at WBA this Sunday and we will do it. Sounds easy eh?

I am now on the look out for two tickets so Emerson and I can be there to witness all the drama. Not quite a title decider maybe, but with the prize on offer a guaranteed Champions League place, it is about as big as it gets for us.

Plus, of course, it would also be St. Totteringham's Day. Now that really would be something to celebrate...