Arsenal strike again in the Nick of time

NO team in the world can currently hope to match Barcelona’s simple yet brilliantly effective mastery of the ball.

Arsenal, though, will visit the Nou Camp tomorrow brimming with the priceless commodities of spirit and sheer bloody-mindedness.

Against the Catalans last week, Arsene Wenger’s side were forced to draw heavily on their reserves of determination and will-power, first to avoid a crushing humiliation and then to recover a two-goal deficit that ensures the quarter-final tie remains evenly balanced.

And while Saturday’s meeting with Wolves followed a different pattern, the London club again maintained their resolve with another last-gasp goal, this time Nicklas Bendtner’s headed winner in the fourth minute of added that means Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes are very much alive.

Up to that point, the London club had laboured ineffectively, dominating possession yet failing to take advantage of a succession of chances before Bendtner connected with Bacary Sagna’s cross.

Wenger was under no illusions about the consequences for the championship ambitions had his side not struck an added time winner for the third time in six league matches. “Finished” was his succinct verdict.

Yet they are now far from finished. Positioned three points adrift of leaders Chelsea, one point behind second-placed Manchester United, Arsenal have every chance of closing the gap over the remaining five games.

In their favour is their ability to keep going to the death, a skill United have turned into an art form. At Old Trafford the crucial final moments of a game even has its own name – ‘Fergie time’ – and while there is no indication Wenger has yet acquired the United manager’s ability to squeeze extra seconds out of the match officials, his side are making the most of every second available.

There are many characteristics of potential champions, and an unwillingness to accept failure is certainly one of them. “It is mental resilience. It is the tenacity of the players and the mental strength they have,” said the Frenchman.

“That’s why I want them so much to be successful because I feel they have been in their bodies and in their heads the spirit of champions. It’s always to give up and not as easy to continue to go no matter what happens. It’s a pleasure to see that from the team because we not only have technical ability, we also have true spirit.

“It is fantastic to watch it. The spirit is there. Maybe we take advantage of the technical superiority we have and the fatigue of our opponents. It is a big quality.”

It also helps when your side is given the benefit of the doubt over a match-changing decision. Wolves manager Mick McCarthy was incensed by the decision to send off his skipper Karl Henry for a robust challenge on Tomas Rosicky in the 66th and the midfielder’s absence added to the sense of fatigue felt by the visitors in the closing minutes.

There is certainly a hysteria that accompanies any tackle on a home player at the Emirates Stadium, more evident than at almost any stadium.

That has clearly been fuelled by the appalling injuries suffered by Eduardo and Aaron Ramsey and fuelled by Wenger’s frequent complaints that teams set out to kick his gifted players and Henry was convinced referee Andre Marriner had been swayed by the reaction of Wenger’s side to his challenge.

“I’m bitterly disappointed with it, it wasn’t a red card,” he said. “Maybe a yellow card but I think I would still have been screaming at the referee so to get a red for that it’s a disgrace.

“I think their player has come in, Vermaelen flying in and whoever else, trying to get me sent off. Two minutes later, Rosicky’s up running around and absolutely fine. That’s what they do here, I don’t think it’s pretty, its not good, it wasn’t a red card, their players moan when they get tackled when they get hit hard and so does Arsene Wenger.

“Arsenal moan a lot, their players go down like a sack of spuds. To get sent-off is a disgrace.”

So much for the beautiful game. Not that Henry’s complaint will have any impact on Wenger and his players. Their thoughts are already trained on Barcelona and a return meeting with another Henry.

MATCH RATING: *** – While there was much to admire in Wolves’ defensive performance, it hardly stirred the soul while Arsenal’s failure to convert possession into goals was simply frustrating.

REF: Andre Marriner (West Midlands) 4 – The decision to send Henry off was wrong and stank of a match official who has spent too much time listening to Arsene Wenger’s complaints about the treatment of his team.