Fabianski Shines As Chamakh Double Gives Arsenal Victory

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 – 2 Arsenal

0 – 1 Chamakh (1)
0 – 2 Chamakh (90)

Two Marouane Chamakh goals, a minute into the game and a minute before the end, gave Arsenal victory but it was an outstanding goalkeeping display by Lukasz Fabianski which provided the foundation. The much-maligned Pole shook off the criticism from the weekend to continue his improved form this season but the headlines have been stolen by a poorly-timed Cesc Fabregas tackle late in the second half.

The Spaniard and Arsene Wenger apologised to Stephen Ward post-match whilst Mick McCarthy showed the bizarre nature of his personal life, commenting,

Today was like a throwback to when your mate broke your nose and then bought you a pint

It is indeed, grim up North.

The victory was much-needed to close the gap on second place but more importantly give self-belief following defeats and poor displays against Shakhtar and Newcastle. The match could have gone either way; for all that Arsenal might have extended their lead in the opening thirty minutes, for the remainder of the match Wolves provided evidence that with some luck, they might well haul themselves clear of the relegation battle.

Before the match Arsene would have told his men to weather the early storm and nick something on the counter-attack. Instead, they put Wolves onto the back foot for the rest of this encounter. Thomas Rosicky, recalled ahead of Theo Walcott, picked the ball up midway in his own half and skated gracefully across the turf deep into the home side’s territory, feeding Alex Song on the right. The Cameroon international sent in the perfect cross, eliciting the deserved response from the head of Chamakh, leaving Hahnemann no chance. Forty seconds on the clock, advantage Arsenal.

Five minutes later and the American gained some redemption. Arshavin having robbed Macienne, raced into the Wolves penalty area, Hahnemann raced to meet him and created a large enough barrier to win this duel. Rosicky went close as Arsenal pressed forward and the American goalkeeper once more came to his side’s rescue as Fabregas shot through a forest of legs, the ball rebounding to safety off the goalkeeper.

Arsenal began to cede their early initiative. Wolves began fighting for the ball in midfield, the first warning of the swing in fortunes came when Doyle narrowly headed over the bar from Hunt’s free kick. The hosts would come even closer just before the interval. Squillaci deflected a cross and it seemed the looped end-product would find Hunt lurking at the far post; the hand of Fabianski clawed the ball to safety before the equaliser could be claimed.

If Arsene hoped to regroup his charges at half-time, they were immediately on the defensive following the restart. Jack Wilshere had a largely ineffective game, slipped in the area as he sought to clear the ball, the cross seemed destined to find one of two Wolverhampton predators in the area before Bacary Sagna put in a goalsaving and technically outstanding tackle to block.

Arsenal countered and should have sealed the match with a sucker punch. Capitalising on a defensive slip, Rosicky fed Fabregas on the edge of the area. The Spaniard’s effort skewed wide as his frustration with himself grew. Wenger noted post-match that the Arsenal captain is still not back to full fitness, a target which needs to be achieved sooner or later before an enforced rest occurs, his testiness on Sunday continued into this fixture.

Having threatened in the first half, Wolves began to exert more pressure. As the hour approached, Doyle span on the edge of the area, his effort bound for the top corner before Fabianski turned the ball to safety. From the resultant corner, Stearman found space but could only nudge the ball towards the goal, Rosicky clearing the ball off the line to prevent the equaliser. Within minutes, Foley would guide a header onto the roof of the net from a free kick, the Arsenal defence on the ropes but refusing to buckle.

When pressing so much, the gaps appear for counter-attacks. Arshavin brought memories of that night at Anfield as he sprinted towards the goal, twisting the defenders on a mazy run before unleashing an effort that hit the foot of the post before careering to safety. This warning for the hosts was ultimately unheeded.

As the game entered the final quarter, Arsenal reassumed some control. Djourou perservered from a corner kick and found Squillaci, who got into a tangle and flicked the ball to his central defensive partner. The Swiss fired his effort goalwards only a Wolves defensive knee to send it to safety.

As the final whistle beckoned, Berra struck a shot from the edge of the area into Fabianski’s arms. Everyone waited for him to kill time; the Pole had other ideas, swiftly releasing the ball which eventually found Fabregas. His pass sent Chamakh clear, this time the Moroccan succeeded in beating Hahnemann.

The win puts Arsenal in good stead before the trip to Goodison Park on Sunday. Fabianski had a good match, answering his critics and providing more evidence that he can be the replacement for Almunia whilst apparently keeping the shirt warm for Szczesny, whom has apparently signed a new contract although this has yet to be officially confirmed. Sagna and Clichy dealt with Wolves flanks more confidently than they have in other recent fixtures whilst Djourou and Squillaci had rocky moments but found Doyle dropping deeper than they would normally expect, having to pick up midfield runners instead.

Equally Arshavin was livelier than he has been for a while and justified his manager’s comments about being dangerous having drifted out of the game for a spell. Rosicky had a similar impact on the game although he was more involved in closing Wolves down than the Russian. Chamakh will have drawn confidence from his first goals for Arsenal away from home in the Premier League.

’til Tomorrow.