The Finishing Touch

The result shows that West Ham United beat Arsenal 1-0 at the Emirates, but in a sense nobody can really understand why. It is not merely the loss of a cherished unbeaten record in the club’s new home that rankles. This defeat encapsulates all that is good and, more significantly, all that is bad about Arsene Wenger’s team this season and as such it provides the best possible indication of what needs to be done in order to ensure the tangible success which for a club of Arsenal’s stature is mandatory.

Understandably, the disappointment runs deep, even to anger, but it is important to maintain a proper perspective. The truth is that Arsenal dominated the game and played their beautiful football. They failed, as they have done too often this season, only because they did not convert their chances and for all the brilliance of Robert Green in the Hammers’ goal, it can be demonstrated that they could, and should, have won by a cricket score.

The sequence went like this. Fabregas chance in the opening minutes – Green saves. Adebayor – Green saves. Adebayor – blocked. Adebayor – headed wide. Adebayor – blazed over. Adebayor – weak header. Ljungberg – Green saves. Rosicky – fires just wide. Rosicky – narrowly wide again. Rosicky – Green saves brilliantly. Fabregas chip – Green saves. Fabregas – fires over. Then deep in time added on Zamora, looking suspiciously offside, runs onto a 40 yard pass from Neill and lobs Lehmann. Incredibly, 0-1. Half time.

The battering resumes. Clichy – shoots wildly over the bar. Ljungberg – straight at Green. Adebayor – header cleared by Neill. Gilberto – fine save from Green. Ljungberg – headed over. Adebayor – header brought stunning save from Green but should have scored. Toure – shot blocked. Fabregas – hit bar. Gilberto – headed wide. Aliadiere – shot wide. Aliadiere – shot wide again. Ljungberg- shot deflected wide. Adebayor – mis-kicked 3 yards out. Gilberto – headed wide. Fabregas – header saved by Green. Baptista – shot blocked by Ferdinand. Gilberto – hit post. Eboue – shot over. Aliadiere – shot saved by Green.

What it all amounts to is this. Arsenal created a staggering 31 clear chances in this embarrassingly one-sided game - 12 in the first half, 19 in the second - involving no fewer than 10 players. Adebayor, with 8, could have had a hat trick twice over. Fabregas (5), Ljunberg (4), Gilberto (4), Rosicky (3), and Aliadiere (3) could also have scored hat tricks and Toure, Baptista, Clichy and Eboue might easily have got their names on the scoresheet. And, for the benefit of those who bang on about Arsenal always trying to walk the ball in or score the ‘perfect goal’, it should be emphasised that several attempts were shots from outside the box and 7 were headers.

So what does it mean? Nothing more in fact than it has meant all season, because the message has been absolutely clear for some time. The outstanding quality of Arsenal’s football, which game after game creates a host of good scoring chances, is not matched by their finishing and even when full account is taken of the significance of long-term injuries to Thierry Henry and Robin Van Persie, there is an urgent need to recruit a world class striker. And anyone who doubts this should consider what Didier Drogba or Dimitar Berbatov, for example, would have made of the service available.