Arsenal 1 - 2 Swansea

Soft.  You can add Cech and it's still the same Arsenal, only without being able to blame goalkeeping mistakes anymore.

In an even more aggravating fashion, Arsenal managed to lose to another makeshift team in bad form.  No excuses, guys.  Yes, you hit the post once and the crossbar twice.  Swansea's first goal was the eventual result of an uncalled blatant foul.  But once they had the lead, Arsenal should have been fit to close the game out.  This is again Wenger's responsibility.  The team should know how to play with a lead.  They look good at times, but all that really counts is end product, and it's not often there.

Swansea was OK.  They didn't collapse.  They pressed effectively at times.  Fabianski didn't have to do anything extraordinary.  But Arsenal was in their area numerous times.  There were few shots taken when the opportunities presented themselves.

I didn't get a good feeling when Sigurdson came in for the second half.  Sure enough, he sealed our fate tonight with a fine free kick that Williams bundled home.  No one in the crowd thought Arsenal was going to score, and with good reason.  Every time they were in there, they tip-tapped the ball until they lost it.  Crosses were floated in, not zipped in; what goalkeeper doesn't prefer that?

Every team in the league should want to play us now.  We're underperforming on an epic scale.  The team has seldom been healthier.

Leicester drew this week, and Spuds lost.  So did Man City.  Opportunity missed--maybe the best we're likely to get.  Obviously, we have to beat Tottenham.  And then we need help, while not dropping points like we have been doing.  We should be top of the league today; we flat out blew the last two games.  I don't know that there is a worthy champion this year, but there will be a champion.  One of these teams is going to take the league, with a fairly poor record for a champion.  It does not look as though Arsenal will be that team.

I would quite happily settle for another FA Cup at this point.  But now I'm being optimistic, aren't I?  We're just four up on the Manchester clubs--City has a game in hand--and five on West Ham.  If we don't turn things around, at least two of them will pass us and it's Europa League if we're lucky.



Oh, and DC United slunk out of the CONCACAF CL with a 0-1 loss at home last night to Queretaro.  They got their goal early, putting an end to any thoughts of a comeback in the tie.