Freddie's lament despite goal rush

13 April 2012

Come Saturday week, Arsenal should be on course for another three points against a struggling Everton team at Highbury. Yet even if they reproduce the stunning performance they gave at Maine Road last night they will be unable to make any difference to the outcome of the Premiership title race.

If Manchester United beat Coventry at Old Trafford on Saturday, they can clinch the title by beating Manchester City at home the following weekend.

Arsenal, impressive though they were last night, have fallen short this season.

Fredrik Ljungberg, scorer of two goals in the demolition of Manchester City, gave the Arsenal players' perspective on the scenario when he said: "It hurts when that happens, in fact it hurts a lot. I know we lost 6-1 up there but if you look at the teams and they have a good day and we have a good day we can be pretty equal. And we did beat them at Highbury."

So how come United will have the champagne and cigars ready with so much of the season still to be completed? "The problem is that we are not as consistent as they are," said Ljungberg. "Hopefully we will change that next season. The new players who have come will have been here a year and that will benefit the club.

"I know from my own experience how difficult it is when you first come to England. It has made me a better player, I am sure of that." One apsect of life at Arsenal to which Ljungberg has had to adjust is the rotation system. "The manager made it clear to us that he is going to rotate," said the Sweden international. "It doesn't matter if you are the best player on the pitch one game, maybe you will be rested for the next one. That is how it works and of course you get disappointed. But it is something you have to accept."

How City must have wished that manager Arsene Wenger had decided against making use of the lively and highly-effective Ljungberg last night. Wenger risked a lot totally excluding Tony Adams, Robert Pores and Lee Dixon from the first-team picture and confining Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry to the substitutes' bench.

In came Oleg Luzhny, Ljungberg, Nwankwo Kanu, Ashley Cole, Edu and Igors Stepanovs. The latter was last spotted in a first-team shirt for Arsenal looking a broken man during the 6-1 thrashing away to United.

As comfortable comebacks go, the one in the other half of Manchester was as close as you will get to ideal. Paolo Wanchope was anonymous for City and Shaun Goater looked as out of place last night at the Latvian appeared at Old Trafford.

The end result was a 4-0 half-time lead that could have been extended, although Arsenal would have settled for that before the game.

"We were lucky to get some quick goals in the beginning," said Ljungberg. Luck, however, had little to do with it. Pace , opportunism and suicidal defending did, though, as Ljungberg, Sylvain Wiltord, Ljung-berg again and Kanu settled the issue before referee Neale Barry took City off for a merciful half-time breather.

The second half was a non-event although a local radio reporter clearly knew something about City's recovery powers which the rest of us have missed. As Ljung-berg closed in on the City goal he cried: "And here is Ljungberg to seal it but Nash saves . . ."

"In the Arsenal team we certainly have character," said Ljungberg. "I hope people can see that. It seems like an insult to lose 6-1 and 4-0 (at Liverpool ) like we have this season. We think we are better than that and we have reacted well after those games."

For Wenger there was the re-assurance that after the FA Cup semi-final win over Tottenham on Sunday which, it is fair to assume, was the cause of some celebration in certain sections of North London, his team stayed focused to stay on course for second place that he regards as crucial.

Ljungberg was upset that he was unable to score his first Arsenal hat-trick - and with some justification. He will never have a better chance to take home the match ball. Unless, of course, Manchester City survive relegation and play Arsenal next season. If that happens, Ljungberg will be praying the rotation policy works in his favour.

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Freddie's lament despite goal rush

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