We crashed out of the FA Cup this weekend after a dismal defeat to Championship side, and two time European Cup winners Nottingham Forest.
Arsene Wenger was serving the first of his three game touchline ban following comments aimed towards serial cheat Mike Dean after our draw with West Brom, and could do nothing about the performance from the stands. He could only watch in horror as our FA Cup defence ended before it began and you have to say that the warning signs were there from the off. Many Arsenal fans were already admitting defeat when they/we saw the line up for the game many heading for the bookmakers to bet against an Arsenal defeat no doubt.
In fairness we are struggling with quite a few injuries right now and we have a League Cup semi-final this week, but the side and the bench we put out was just not good enough to win this tie, simple as that. There was no Ozil or Sanchez on the bench, Walcott and Iwobi were their usual awful selves, while our makeshift defence were humiliated by a hungry Forest strike force time and time again.
Mertesacker had pulled us level immediately after we’d gone behind, but we found ourselves 2-1 down at the break after a great free kick by Forest caught out Ospina. In the second half Forest extended their lead before Danny Welbeck gave us a glimmer of hope bundling the ball home after a mistake by the Forest keeper to make it 3-2. Forest then were awarded a penalty after Debuchy was adjudged to have fouled Armande Traore and the Forest man Dowell made no mistake from the spot.
We got exactly what we deserved from this game, precisely nothing and I hope there are at least 11 Arsenal players this morning hanging their heads in shame after that paltry effort.
Our season seems to be lurching from bad to worse and with Chelsea on Wednesday in the league cup, it’s going to take a huge effort to inject some positivity back into club given the imminent transfer shenanigans. These could involved losing our two best players for next to nothing while we try to replace them half way through any already terrible season.
What a mess (again)! Highlights here if you want to put yourself through the torture once more.
