Gunners unable to strengthen their grip on a Champions
League place in tetchy match marked by missed chances and a half-time
tunnel bust-up
Arm-wrestle: Neither Wilshere's Arsenal nor Baines' Everton could find a winner
AP
Arsene Wenger was left battered and bruised after Everton's dogs of war put the bite on Arsenal's Champions League chances.
It
was as intense and enthralling as goalless stalemates get but
ultimately Chelsea and Tottenham were the big winners in the battle for
top four.
Everton boss David Moyes conceded his chances of
reaching the Champions League have almost completely diminished after
they failed to win all three points.
Wenger admitted it was two
points dropped and if they miss out on the top four then it will be down
to their lack of a natural born goal scorer.
Olivier Giroud had
Arsenal's best two chances and yet his lack of composure in front of
goal was horribly exposed again as he blazed both openings horribly wide
of the target.
That must be the big lesson for Arsenal as they look to strengthen this summer.
Wenger needs a striker with Champions League pedigree, rather one with untested potential. Sore point: Neither side will be that happy with the draw
Michael Regan
Arsenal were not at their best.
Everton's strong-arm
tactics in midfield rarely allowed them to get going. But Giroud could
have won it for Arsenal in either half.
In contrast, Everton dug
in, scrapped and battled to win a fierce midfield war. Darron Gibson was
perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch, Ross Barkley showed he is ready for
the big time and Marouane Fellaini was an irrepressible giant in
midfield.
They stemmed Arsenal's normal passing game as every
through ball was confronted by Everton's stubborn back line with Phil
Jagielka and Sylvain Distin defiant in defence.
In the end, a draw
was probably just about fair on both sides but a point unhelpful to
neither as there is little room for error in an increasingly tight
battle for the £30m reward for a Champions League place.
Moyes
accepted it was win-or-bust and that perhaps explains why they were
quicker out of the blocks, flying into tackles and more dangerous going
forward.
Everton could easily have taken a sixth minute lead had
it not been for brave keeping from Wojciech Szczesny - back in for the
injured Lukasz Fabianski - as his dive at Steven Pienaar's feet forced
the winger to lift the ball up and over both the keeper and the
crossbar.
View gallery
Action Images
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
Arsenal v Everton
View gallery
But the real story of the first half was Everton's rough-house tactics.
Barkley, Gibson and Pienaar took it in turns to bully poor little Theo Walcott with fierce challenges.
Gibson was booked in the 27th minute for a foul on Walcott. The yellow card looked harsh.
And
yet his next foul on Walcott six minutes later was a clear booking, as
he smashed into the Arsenal winger - clear obstruction.
Referee Neil Swarbrick seemed to bottle it as Arsenal's players complained bitterly.
Wenger,
who did not do his usual pre-match interviews because he had a sore
throat, miraculously found his voice to complain throughout the first
half at fourth official Kevin Friend.
Both sides had chances to go
ahead before the break as Barkley, shining brightly in the heat of
battle, turned Mikel Arteta brilliantly, fed a through ball to Victor
Anichebe, but Kieran Gibbs made a brave tackle just as the Everton
striker was about to pull the trigger.
Aaron Ramsey, tireless and
impressive in Arsenal's engine room, provided a brilliant and inviting
low cross for Giroud to steam in ahead of Everton keeper but the French
striker fired his shot wide of the target with the goal in front of him.
Oh for Robin van Persie.
Tempers flared as the players left the pitch and headed down the tunnel at half time.
Kevin Mirallas squirted his water bottle into Jack Wilshere's face, the Arsenal midfielder reacted and a melee ensued. Flashpoint: Jack Wilshere is held back by Everton's Phil Jagielka...
Sky
...the spat continues inside the players' tunnel
Sky
The half-time entertainment was in keeping with the main event.
When the fisticuffs finished and the football resumed, Barkley curled a delightful shot wide.
But
generally Arsenal were better in the second half as they began to peg
Everton back only for Jagielka and Distin to show admirable resistance.
Wenger
threw on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski for Walcott and
Wilshere respectively and Arsenal pushed Everton further and further
back.
Oxlade-Chamberlain made a big difference with his power and pace.
But he should have been more selfish and shoot rather than try to square the ball for Giroud by which time the chance had gone.
The
final opening came in the 80th minute when Oxlade-Chamberlain found
Giroud but the striker, having cleverly worked himself some space in the
penalty box, went for power over precision and fired horribly over the
crossbar.
If only either side had a top quality finisher.
Instead, both sides lost their nerve and lost their composure under pressure.
Chelsea and Tottenham will be hoping it stays like that for the rest of the campaign.
View gallery
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
No comments:
Post a Comment