Goal-shy Gunners a worry
> Stalemate underlines Wenger’s striker problems, but will he act amid latest Benzema development?
The Gunners boss, a Jekyll and Hyde figure in his twentieth season at the North London club, is malevolent and patient when exacting his revenge.
As Liverpool, marshaled by the excellent Philippe Coutinho, pummelled the makeshift defensive pairing of Calum Chambers and Gabriel in the first-half, Wenger would have been fearing the worst.
Karim Benzema (pix), the Real Madrid striker who now appears destined to sign a new contract at the Santiago Bernabeu after becoming the latest target to stand Wenger up, is surely just the latest name to be jotted into his little black book.
Linesman Simon Bennett, who wrongly disallowed Aaron Ramsey’s first half effort, won’t be far behind.
But a first-half horror show from the hosts was managed expertly, partly thanks to the visitors’ impotency in front of goal, but Wenger’s search for a proven goalscorer continues – hence his grievances with Rodgers.
Speaking to the media last week, anticipating the visit of long-term foes Liverpool, the phlegmatic Frenchman elected to tug open the stitches of a wound many assumed had long been sealed.
Quizzed on Raheem Sterling’s Anfield departure to Manchester City this summer, for a fee which could rise to £49 million (RM294m), the 65-year-old was withering in his critique of his opponents’ transfer policy.
“Liverpool make their own decisions,” he shrugged. “They refused to sell us (Luis) Suarez so I cannot feel too much sympathy for them.”
Wenger’s audacious £40,000,001 (RM240m) bid for the Uruguayan two years ago, as courageous as it was unexpected, was supposed to have met his release clause.
But the Liverpool manager insisted to the contrary and Suarez remained in Merseyside for another year, scoring 31 goals, to almost fire the Reds to a title which has alluded Wenger since 2004.
Olivier Giroud, making his 100th Premier League appearance for the Gunners, has scored 42 goals in that time – behind only Thierry Henry (59), Ian Wright (56) and Emmanuel Adebayor (44).
Emirates regulars, however, will point towards the inescapable fact that the vast majority of those strikes have come against teams fighting a relegation battle rather than their immediate rivals.
The groans which circle around the Emirates whenever he loses the ball tell a tale of a group of supporters desperate to see the back of him.
A goalless draw is unlikely to make them consider a change of heart anytime soon. – The Independent opponents far superior to Stoke or Bournemouth, they played their best football of the season, but with no reward.
Brendan Rodgers found a powerful balance in his team. Emre Can and Lucas Leiva protected the back four. James Milner provided drive and impetus from deep. Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino, flanked Christian Benteke, providing imagination and technical skill.
Rodgers spends every autumn trying to discover his best combination and only when he finds it does his team hit form. This may not be it, but it was his best try yet.