Signing: Lukas Podolski

I know I've mentioned it in an earlier post, but since the season is over and I'm growing weary of not writing I've decided to give some further information of our new signing from Germany, Lukas Podolski.

My personal earlier experiences of the striker are few, I can recall watching him in a couple of games for Germany, but no more than that. He is currently 26 years old and has played 95 games for Germany, which means that he's got plenty of experience! He's also been a prolific goalscorer with 43 strikes for the national team.

Hopefully he will add a lot to the team and relieve some of the pressure from Robin van Persie (who is still having negotiation-talks with the club, making us all more nervous by the day!).

Lukas Podolski wearing the red and white.

West Bromwich Albion vs. Arsenal

3-2, Premier League, The Hawthorns, 2012-05-13
Benayoun 4,
Santos 28,
Koscielny 54

We finally got the job done. After ninety minutes of withstanding agonzing nerves, we finally got the job done. Considering our start of the season a third place feels like a victory, especially snatching it from our neighbours! We have ensured another year of Champions League football (the fifteenth year in a row of top European football for us) and let's just hope that it's enough to ensure that the services of our captain will remain for more seasons to come.

The game started well for us, we played with confidence and scored early. The W.B.A 'keeper made a fatal error that Yossi Benayoun capitalised on. He snatched it from the hands of the 'keeper and scored with ease. After that you'd have thought that we could more or less ease through the game, yet that was not the case. Within the space of four minutes we found ourselves trailing, 1-2! The first goal should never have been allowed as the player was offside by at least a yard! Nervetheless, it was vital that we found ourselves back in the game before the end of the first half, and our very own Brazilian defender saw to that. During his first season at Arsenal, Andre Santos have proved to be a real attacking force, and the last game of the season proved to be no different. The left back made his way into the W.B.A half and fired away a sizzling shot!

In the second half we continued to push on and, ironically, our salvation came through a situation that has often been our ruin: a corner. A lack of communication between 'keeper and defender meant that Laurent Koscielny found himself in a position where he just had to tuck the ball into the back of an open net! The remaining minutes we held on, and only just about! Gibbs slided in with an excellent tackle in the final minute to deny W.B.A a golden opportunity to score, and in doing so he probably won the game for us.

So that's an end to yet another (trophy-less) season. However, we can feel nothing but joy at the moment, considering how barely we just saved that spot in the Champions League. It does feel that next season will bring something more with it. Granted, we need to keep Robin van Persie as well as make a few more signings, but it does feel like the team is growing up, fast.

Injury Update;
-Walcott came on for the second half, returning from injury.
-Sagna underwent surgery earlier in the week on his fractured leg, meaning that he (most likely) won't be back in time for the next season.
-Arteta and Mertesacker are both still out, but hopefully they'll be back for next season.

Arsenal vs. Norwich

3-3, Premier League, Emirates, 2012-05-05
Benayoun 2,
van Persie 72, 80

Completely gutted.. Ahead of this game we had it all in our own hands and now... well let's just say that hope has fled and we are now most likely to play in the Europa League next season...

Our first half was one of the worst halves I've seen us play this season. We got the lead after just two minutes when birthday boy Yossi Benayoun produced an amazing strike that went straight for the top corner. However, after that goal we were abhorrent. Completely useless. It was disappointing yet to no surprise that we found ourselves 2-1 down after that first half.

In the second half we looked like a team changed. We were hungrier and fought like a team, unlike the first half. You have to give Norwich lots of credit form this game, they played really well and for most parts of the game (especially the first half) looked hungrier than us, which doesn't make sense since they've secured their contract and we've far from secured that third spot.

There could only be one person to bring us back into the game, Robin van Persie. Song delivered a beautiful assist to the Dutchman who produced the magic that we needed. And just mere minutes later we found ourselves in that lead that we had sought for. And yes, it was that man again. Robin van Persie slammed the ball in using his cat-like reflexes and the atmosphere got crazy!

However, we never managed to hold on to any lead that we picked up in this game and in the dying minutes our defence were completely lost and a Norwich player could seal the draw. Just after this goal we had a clear shout for penalty that the ref chose to ignore. Robin was just about to put the goal into the back of the net following a cross from Oxlade-Chamberlain, and then came a defender and mauled him down. As clear a penalty as there ever will be and it is unacceptable that all the refs should miss it. We need video technology in football, NOW!

We had tons of chances in the second half, and wasted all but two of them. Unbelievable. We have to be more efficient if we are to ever secure a title.

On a happier note, Lukas Podolski joined the club earlier this week. His contract at FC Cologne expired this year and he chose to sign for us. Let us hope he won't have to regret it...

Injury Update;
-Sagna got stretchered off in the first half, which is alarming and I should not think that we will see him again this season.