Buzzin Football

Having watched the Arsenal v Sunderland game on Saturday, I was a little surprised at Arsene Wenger’s alleged comments to Sunderland coach Ricky Sbragia about the ‘black cats’ negative approach to the game. The Arsenal coach supposedly asked the Sunderland man why he didn’t come to play football, a reference to the solid defensive display from Sunderland.

Watching Wenger being constantly frustrated by his teams efforts to break down the opposition is almost like watching Basil Fawlty these days, surely it is only a question of time before we see him bounce along the touchline on his haunches with his hands on his head unable to take anymore.

Sunderland did what they had to do, they play to their strengths as any football team does. It does get frustrating at times when a team plays eleven in defence, but Sunderland did make a game of it and for all Arsenal’s possession a draw was a fair result. But I do understand the point that Wenger was making.

Runaway la Liga leaders Barcelona took on bottom of the table Espanyol shortly after the Arsenal game finished, two clubs separated by no less than 42 points at the start of the game. Barcelona are playing the style of football that Wenger would love to see week in week out at the Emirates and have amassed 60 points already this season. Espanyol should have brought the bus to park across the goal you might think.

How happy Wenger would have been with the relegation troubled Spanish side, they came to play football. Despite playing a similar system to Sunderland with a lone striker, Espanyol showed quality in passing and movement when given the opportunity. For all their possession Barcelona could not find the magic that has stood them apart from the rest this season and when Espanyol took an unexpected lead you would have thought they would cling on to it by committing every man to defence.

But no, the goal instead had the effect of lifting the confidence of the Espanyol players who sensed they may be being outplayed, but not outclassed. While they had played well defensively and on the break, they started pushing the game looking for another goal. Sure enough it came. 0-2 at the Nou Camp to la liga’s bottom team.

Frustrated Barcelona risked the embarrassment of leaking a third goal by throwing everyone forward, but the ball would just not run for them until the dying minute of the game when Taya Toure smashed in a consolation goal.

So while I agree that Wenger has a point with his comments, think how much worse it could have been if Sunderland had turned up to have a go at Arsenal.