Podolski double keeps Arsenal Euro bid alive

LONDON: Arsenal came from behind to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League as Lukas Podolski´s double inspired a vital 3-1 win over West Ham on Tuesday.

Arsene Wenger´s side are in danger of failing to reach Europe´s elite club competition for the first time in 17 years after a miserable run saw them surrender fourth place to Everton.

The Gunners needed a victory over their London rivals to climb back into fourth, but their European bid looked in dire straits when Matthew Jarvis struck for the visitors late in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.

That shock revitalised a previously lethargic Arsenal and German forward Lukas Podolski equalised minutes later before France striker Olivier Giroud put them ahead soon after the interval.

Podolski´s second in the closing stages sealed Arsenal´s first victory in their last five league games and lifted the north Londoners one point clear of Everton, although Roberto Martinez´s men are still in pole position as they will reclaim fourth place if they draw or win at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday. "We were under absolute pressure to win the game and after giving a lot on Saturday it was difficult," Wenger said. "I was satisfied with the mental response of the team. We showed maturity not to panic when we went 1-0 down. The vital thing was to come back to 1-1 before half time. It was a hard-fought and very enjoyable win."

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce added: "We worked really hard to get 1-0 up, but if you gift them two goals it´s difficult to get a result. The defending for the second goal was pathetic."

Wenger had made five changes from the team that beat Wigan on penalties in Saturday´s FA Cup semi-final, with Swedish midfielder Kim Kallstrom making his first start and Laurent Koscielny returning from injury. But the Gunners spluttered in the early stages and when they did get behind the West Ham rearguard thanks to Santi Cazorla´s defence-splitting pass, Giroud, back in the starting line-up after being left out of the semi-final, could only flick a tame effort straight at Adrian.

It seemed Arsenal might pay the price for that miss when Allardyce´s team took the lead in the 40th minute.

Antonio Nocerino made a powerful burst from midfield and held off Kallstrom to drive in a low shot that Wojciech Szczesny blocked at his near-post.

Nocerino was first to the rebound and poked it towards Jarvis, who bravely ignored Koscielny´s desperate head-high attempt to clear and nodded home from close-range.
To their credit, the setback sparked Arsenal into life at last and Kallstrom forced Adrian to save at his near-post before the Gunners equalised in the 44th minute.

West Ham were the architects of their own downfall as a poor clearance from Stewart Downing from his own team´s throw-in fell to Cazorla, who slipped a lovely pass to Podolski and the German showed great awareness to work just enough space to fire a superb low strike past Adrian for his ninth goal of the season.

Wenger´s men now had the platform to play with more freedom and they went ahead 10 minutes after the break thanks to a moment of inspiration from Giroud.

When Thomas Vermaelen lofted a high ball into the penalty area, Giroud was buffeted by Winston Reid and Andy Carroll, but he was strong enough to hold off his assailants and control the dropping ball expertly before lashing home from close-range.

Giroud celebrated his 20th goal of the season by paying tribute to the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster as he marked the 25th anniversary of the tragedy by kissing his black armband and pointing to the sky.

Podolski sealed the Gunners´ eighth successive victory over West Ham in emphatic fashion, driving home a lethal finish after Giroud and substitute Aaron Ramsey combined to open up the visitors´ defence in the 78th minute. (AFP)

Arsenal beats holder Wigan to reach FA up final

LONDON: Arsenal avoided FA Cup embarrassment against second-tier club Wigan on Saturday, coming from behind against the holder and winning a penalty shootout to reach the final where the London club will be looking to end a nine-year trophy drought.

After extra time ended 1-1, Arsenal´s players scored all of their penalties and Lukasz Fabianski made two vital saves in a 4-2 shootout victory over Wigan in this meeting of the fifth-place teams in the Premier League and League Championship.

Wigan went in front in regular time from the penalty spot at Wembley Stadium. Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker conceded the spot kick that Jordi Gomez converted but the German made amends by heading in the equalizer that sent the game into extra time. "In the first half we were a bit timid," Mertesacker said. "A lot of people questioned (our character) recently but how we came back today we proved a lot."

A year after winning its first major trophy by beating Manchester City and then again in this year´s semifinals, Wigan couldn´t produce another upset against a Premier League power — much to Arsene Wenger´s relief. "It was important mentally," the Arsenal manger said. "If you imagine the consequences of going out tonight, it would have been quite worrying."

With the second half of his 18-year reign defined by the lack of silverware, Wenger desperately needs to collect a first trophy since the 2005 FA Cup success when Arsenal returns to Wembley for the final.

It could be a bittersweet end to the season, though, with Arsenal at risk of missing out on the Champions League after 16 successive years. Just before kickoff at Wembley, Arsenal was dislodged from the fourth Champions League place by Everton, which beat Sunderland 1-0.What a slump it has been for Wenger´s side, having spent so much of the opening months of the season on top of the league.

The failure to strengthen the squad in the January transfer window has come back to bite Wenger. How differently things could have turned out if he had brought in an additional striker.

Instead, Wenger on Saturday was relying for goals on 21-year-old striker Yaya Sanogo, who was starting just his fourth game since joining on a free transfer before this season. Olivier Giroud was on the bench.

Sanogo´s lack of cutting edge and pace in front of goal quickly became apparent. The Frenchman was denied by Scott Carson from close range after five minutes and again just before halftime when his unconvincing first touch to control the ball allowed the goalkeeper to thwart the attempt.

If there was anything to reassure a dreary Arsenal side failing to produce the fluid football Wenger champions, it was Wigan´s inability to provide much attacking menace. So Arsenal gifted Wigan the opening to go in front.Mertesacker slid in with a lunge to cut out Callum McManaman´s run and the forward went to ground in the penalty area. After a delay while Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal received treatment elsewhere on the pitch, Gomez, a product of Barcelona´s youth system, sent the spot kick beyond the reach of Lukasz Fabianski.The anger among Arsenal fans who have grown accustomed to failure was clear: Jeers greeted Wenger´s decision to bring Giroud on, not for Sanogo but Lukas Podolski in the 68th.

The equalizer proved elusive. After Carson´s save from Kieran Gibbs´ header sent the ball drifting toward the goal, Wigan defender Stephen Crainey scooped the ball off the line.

Wigan´s goal was finally breached in the 82nd when it couldn´t fully clear a corner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain raised the ball over the defense and Mertesacker headed in at the far post.

It was a lucky escape for Arsenal, which was denied a winner in extra time when Oxlade-Chamberlain hit the crossbar but had better luck in the shootout.

Fabianski saved Wigan´s first two penalties by Gary Caldwell and Jack Collison, while Arteta, Kim Kallstrom, Giroud and Cazorla all netted for the Gunners. "We are walking out of Wembley on paper as losers but in our own mind as winners," said Wigan manager Uwe Rosler, whose focus returns to gaining promotion back to the Premier League. (AP)

Everton down Arsenal to keep European dream alive

LIVERPOOL: Everton struck a huge blow in the battle to qualify for the Champions League with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Arsenal at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Strikers Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku both scored for Everton in the first half, while Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta added a third with an own-goal in the second period in a match the home side dominated.

The result meant fifth-placed Everton closed the gap on Arsene Wenger´s side in fourth place to just a single point, and the Toffees also have a Premier League game in hand over their London rivals.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez handed Naismith, who impressed from the bench against Fulham last time out, a place in the starting line-up ahead of Ross Barkley while Kevin Mirallas was preferred to Gerard Deulofeu.

Arsenal had Aaron Ramsey back in their squad for the first time since December after his recovery from a thigh injury but he had to settle for a place among the substitutes while Nacho Monreal started in place of Kieran Gibbs, who had an ankle injury, at left-back.

Leon Osman signalled Everton´s intent and went close with a curling effort from distance, which had Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny worried, that just went over the crossbar.

Osman, named Everton captain for the day, was forced off moments later with a nasty cut on his face after Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna landed on him and was replaced by Barkley. But despite his absence the Toffees zipped the ball about with confidence and a slick move in the 14th minute allowed Naismith to put the hosts ahead.

A teasing ball into the area from left-back Leighton Baines found Lukaku who saw his shot from near the penalty spot parried by Szczesny, but Naismith was quickest to react and confidently placed the ball into the corner of the unguarded net.

Everton´s pressure on the Arsenal goal was relentless and Barkley drew a smart save on the half-hour mark from Szczesny before Mirallas had the Poland international scrambling across his goal shortly afterwards with a low shot from distance.

Arsenal´s rearguard was eventually breached for a second time by on-loan Chelsea striker Lukaku who notched his 12th Premier League goal of the season in the 34th minute.

The Belgium international received a cross-field pass on the right flank and skipped past Arsenal defenders Monreal and Thomas Vermaelen before he struck a powerful shot into the corner.

Arsenal briefly flickered into life before the interval and Lukas Podolski´s shot was acrobatically tipped over the crossbar by Tim Howard in the Everton goal.

Wenger´s side began the second period in a determined fashion but Everton simply matched them and their desire was reflected in the manner of the third goal shortly after the hour mark.

Mirallas stole possession off Sagna on the halfway line and headed towards the Arsenal goal where he found Naismith with an intelligent pass.

Naismith saw his path to goal blocked by Szczesny, but the ball popped free and Mirallas, who had continued his run into the penalty area, battled Arteta - a former Everton player - in the scramble which ultimately saw the Arsenal midfielder inadvertently push it into his own net.

From that point there was no way back for Arsenal although a run from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, introduced for Podolski in the 66th minute, saw him rattle the crossbar with a spectacular effort. But it was Everton who finished the stronger of the two sides with Barkley, Baines and substitutes Deulofeu and Aiden McGeady all threatening with runs into the box. (AP)