Review: Arsenal 1 - Wolves 0 (PG-13)

All I actually need to say really is...(and for those under 13, please scroll down)

Holy Fuckin' Shit. We really need to stop these stunts of ours. I hadn't watched most of the game - watching it only from around minute 76 onwards - and just those 20 minutes were enough to give me aneurysms. For those 20-odd minutes, I'd started composing this post. A eulogy? A Requiem for a Dream? I already had my first few lines, which I suppose I'll just relate right now for the heck of it: "It had to end somehow, somewhere, some time. It was just unfortunate it had to end at home, to Wolves."

But no. Our boys had different ideas. The core of our team on the pitch - Walcott, Sagna, Nasri and Bent Nick - they had different ideas. Forget Eduardo, who for sure will need to be shipped out in the summer. Forget Cesc. It had nothing to do with his absence. It'll be this same four who will determine how we do on Tuesday at the Nou Camp. Bent Nick, especially, has turned into something of a revelation.

A word too for Sol - who again, has defied everything and everyone with a solid performance. I'm not sure if he'll be fit enough for Tuesday, but we sure could do with him again. (Not that Messi v Campbell is something I really relish right now). Anyways...

One minute to go till the end of the five added minutes, and any normal person would've switched off. The telly as well as for our season. But much as it was all frustration, composing concluding posts and all, somehow, with our record of keeping it late, any normal Arse fan also had to keep some degree of faith. With Chelski beating Man U earlier on, surely, we could do something, anything, to see to a dogged Wolves.

I'm sure the tabloids tomorrow will be awash with the usual "the team that just won't go away, won't die, won't go away, don't know how to give up" kind of story, and in a way - for once - they're actually going to be right. Of course, one fine day, it's going to come back and bite us on the arse - like it did against Birmingham - but for now, our sheer tenacity and ballsy-ness is going to scare even the likes of Barca. Just imagine. 0-0 at the Nou Camp with 2 minutes to go. Just what do you think Bent Nick's gonna do, huh? Minus Puyol and Pique.

But I digress. Our win's given us the opportunity to just fight another day. And the least we can do is go all the way in doing so. Even if it's just for second place. There'd be no greater satisfaction (other than actually winning it) than doing it at the expense of Man U.

I'd said earlier that the first four games of Chelski's run-in were going to be key. So far, they've gone and destroyed Pompey and Villa. Won against Man U, and will have Bolton at home before two of the last trickier ties away to Spurs and Pool. They've ultimately taken all nine points from the first three - and if they go on and win it, well, they'll probably deserve it. But till then. There must be more in this fight, and let's be the one to push them to the limit.

As far as the game went, one of the things that will be analysed to death will be Wenger's team selection. Yes, there were seven changes to the team that started v Barca. But for that, I'd agree 100% with Wenger. If he can't rest a few players in-between a Champions League quarter-final for a home game against Wolves, then screw me. That just means that we can't count on Eduardo to score goals, and that's something we've all been resigned to for the last couple of months. Indeed, why it even took 80 minutes for Wenger to bring on Vela in his place is a mystery in itself.

Yes, we looked tired - and that can be expected. Yes, it looked like a little bit of a let-down, and coming after Barca, I can understand that. Yes, we looked like we lacked ideas - and that can be expected with a Wolves team on form, and defending well. At this stage in the season, a 1-0 win is all that matters - and that's what matters. It was ugly, it was heart-stopping, it was unnecessary, but hey - I could be writing a eulogy instead of going to bed happy.

For now, I've got Match of the Day to look forward to, and Tuesday beckons sooner than we think.

It's good to be back to a normal keyboard.