Gunners fire blanks as Villa struggle

It turned out to be another disappointing season for Arsenal.

They did reach the 2011 League Cup final but lost to Birmingham City at Wembley. This is the sixth season that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has failed to deliver an honour.

The Gunners will most surely hold on to the Frenchman but the fans are not backing Wenger to the hilt − they are tired of seeing their team miss out on silverware. The League Cup loss hurt the fans especially as Birmingham struggled in the league to the extent that they were eventually relegated.

Arsenal had a dismal home record, dropping 16 points at the Emirates Stadium. Besides, they were plagued by injuries.

Wenger will again have Pat Rice as his no.2 as the latter was persuaded to stay for another year.

Arsenal were top of the standings for a few days in December. Many tipped the Londoners to go all the way then but Wenger’s men failed miserably in crunch matches, particularly in front of their own fans.

At Villa Park, manager Gerard Houllier was forced to miss the last month of the season due to a heart problem.

After Martin O’Neill shocked the fans and left last August, the board appointed his assistant Kevin MacDonald on temporary basis before Houllier’s arrival.

While Houllier was recovering in hospital, his right-hand man Gary McAllister took charge.

Under Houllier, Villa blew hot and cold. The Frenchman stunned the Premier League when signing Darren Bent for £24 million from Sunderland in January. Bent made an instant impact and, with better support up front, he would have scored more goals.

Villa, who finished in the lower half of the table, won only eight matches at Villa Park.

In the cups, Arsenal went all the way in the League Cup only to let in a soft goal following a mix-up in defence during the final.

In the FA Cup Arsenal went down 2-0 to Manchester United in the quarter-finals.

In the Champions League, the Londoners were unlucky to be drawn against mighty Barcelona in the first knock-out round.

Aston Villa participated in the Europa League last season and, for the second year running, bowed out to Rapid Vienna in the qualifying rounds. In the League Cup, they lasted up to the quarter-finals where they were knocked out by rivals and eventual winners Birmingham at St Andrews.

In the fifth round of the FA Cup, Villa received a drubbing, going down 0-3 at Manchester City who went on to win the competition last month.

Premier League results

Arsenal
August − Away vs Liverpool 1-1 (Reina og).
Home vs Blackpool 6-0 (Walcott 3, Arshavin pen, Diaby, Chamakh).
Away vs Blackburn 2-1 (Walcott, Arshavin).

September − Home vs Bolton 4-1 (Koscielny, Chamakh, Song, Vela).
Away vs Sunderland 1-1 (Fabregas).
Home vs West Brom 2-3 (Nasri 2).

October − Away vs Chelsea 0-2.
Home vs Birmingham 2-1 (Nasri pen, Chamakh).
Away vs Manchester City 3-0 (Nasri, Song, Bendtner).
Home vs West Ham 1-0 (Song).

November − Home vs Newcastle 0-1.
Away vs Wolves 2-0 (Chamakh 2).
Away vs Everton 2-1 (Nasri 2).
Home vs Tottenham 2-3 (Nasri, Chamakh).
Away vs Aston Villa 4-2 (Arshavin, Nasri, Chamakh, Wilshire).

December − Home vs Fulham 2-1 (Nasri 2).
Away vs Manchester United 0-1.
Home vs Chelsea 3-1 (Song, Fabregas, Walcott).
Away vs Wigan 2-2 (Arshavin, Bendtner).

January − Away vs Birmingham 3-0 (Van Persie, Nasri, J. Johnson og).
Home vs Manchester City 0-0.
Away vs West Ham 3-0 (Van Persie 2, 1 pen, Walcott).
Home vs Wigan 3-0 (Van Persie 3).

February − Home vs Everton 2-1 (Ars-havin, Koschielny).
Away vs Newcastle 4-4 (Walcott, Djorou, Van Persie 2).
Home vs Wolves 2-0 (Van Persie 2).
Home vs Stoke 1-0 (Squillaci).

March − Home vs Sunderland 0-0.
Away vs West Bromwich 2-2 (Arshavin, Van Persie).

April − Home vs Blackburn 0-0.
Away vs Blackpool 3-1 (Diaby, Eboue, Van Persie).
Home vs Liverpool 1-1 (Van Persie pen).
Away vs Tottenham 3-3 (Walcott, Nasri, Van Persie).
Away vs Bolton 1-2 (Van Persie).

May − Home vs Manchester United 1-0 (Ramsey).
Away vs Stoke 1-3 (Van Persie).
Home vs Aston Villa 1-2 (Van Persie).
Away vs Fulham 2-2 (Van Persie, Walcott).

Aston Villa
August − Home vs West Ham 3-0 (Downing, Petrov, Milner).
Away vs Newcastle 0-6.
Home vs Everton 1-0 (L. Young).

September − Away vs Stoke City 1-2 (Downing).
Home vs Bolton 1-1 (A. Young).
Away vs Wolves 2-1 (Downing, Heskey).

October − Away vs Tottenham 1-2 (Albrighton).
Home vs Chelsea 0-0.
Away vs Sunderland 0-l.
Home vs Birmingham 0-0.

November − Away vs Fulham 1-1 (Albrighton).
Home vs Blackpool 3-2 (Downing, Delfouneso, Collins).
Home vs Manchester United 2-2 (A. Young pen, Albrighton).
Away vs Blackburn 0-2.
Home vs Arsenal 2-4 (Clark 2).

December − Away vs Liverpool 0-3.
Home vs West Bromwich 2-1 (Downing, Heskey).
Home vs Tottenham 1-2 (Albrighton).
Away vs Manchester City 0-4.

January − Away vs Chelsea 3-3 (A. Young pen, Heskey, Clark).
Home vs Sunderland 0-1.
Away vs Birmingham 1-1 (Collins).
Home vs Manchester City 1-0 (Bent).
Away vs Wigan 2-1 (Agbonlahor, A. Young pen).

February − 1. Away vs Man. Utd 1-3 (Bent).
Home vs Fulham 2-2 (Pantsil og, Walker).
Away vs Blackpool 1-1 (Agbonlahor).
Home vs Bolton 4-1 (A. Young 2, 1 pen, Hanley og, Downing).

March − Away vs Bolton 2-3 (Bent, Albrighton).
Home vs Wolves 0-1.

April − Away vs Everton 2-2 (Bent 2).
Home vs Newcastle 1-0 (Collins).
Away vs West Ham United 2-1 (Bent, Agbonlahor).
Home vs Stoke 1-1 (Bent).
Away vs West Brom 1-2 (Meite og).

May − Home vs Wigan 1-1 (A. Young).
Away vs Arsenal 2-1 (Bent 2).
Home vs Liverpool 1-0 (Downing).