It was a week where Arsenal earned a spot in the FA Cup Final and gained 3 vital points to regain 4th place and Everton and Manchester City both dropped points. Win the next four games and 4th place as well as Champions League football is ours. It’s that simple. It really is fantastic knowing that we will be playing in the FA Cup Final on May 17th but Premier League football is priority now and locking down a Champions League spot is hugely important for Arsenal’s summer transfer plans.
Again, it’s in our hands now and it started with a 3-1 win against West Ham United on Tuesday. It was not a great sign when West Ham took the lead in the 40th minute, but Lukas Podolski brought us back right before halftime and from there Arsenal just straight up took it to them. Giroud had one of the greatest goals, I think, in the Arsenal campaign or even in the Premier League. The way he controlled his body after being bumped and his touch to bring the ball down was superb. And as all strikers should do, he took advantage of the little space he had and gave us the 2-1 lead. We went on to score another goal (another Podolski goal), set up by none other than Aaron Ramsey, who I thought made a world of difference when he came on.
The Arsenal midfield is looking a bit stronger now and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Flamini is back from suspension and Kim Kallstrom finally has a full 90 minutes under his belt as an Arsenal player, and I must say he looked pretty comfortable in his role against West Ham. Arsenal fans can jump for joy as Mesut Ozil will make his long awaited return from a hamstring injury suffered in the first leg of the Champions League against Bayern Munich. Having a player like Ozil back on the field will speed up our game, which is what we’ve kind of lacked a bit in recent weeks. He sees the field in a different way than other players and will find passes that no one else can make. He has created 63 goal-scoring chances this season. I think his return will also lift Arsenal’s spirits; the players, the fans, and the manager.
Giroud and Podolski are both feeling extremely confident after their dazzling performances on Tuesday and will look to continue their goal scoring against Hull on Sunday. The players know how important it is to win and earn that coveted 4th place spot. Hull City are only 6 points above the relegation zone for them, a win and 3 points is vitally important.