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Gunners survive Shrewsbury scare, win 3-1

Comment: 0 September 21st, 2011 by: admin

Arsenal tally their second win of the season as they overcome an early Shrewsbury Town lead to claim a 3-1 victory Tuesday night.

Currently struggling with a depressing one win in their first five Premier League matches, a rickety Gunners squad also claim a much-needed morale boost as the win rockets them to the fourth round of the Carling Cup.

For the Gunners, the game began with an early shock as Shrewsbury’s James Collins blasted a header past keeper Lukasz Fabianski, tallying a 16^th minute goal for the League Two visitors.

Delirious over the possible upset, Shrewsbury supporters launched into chants specifically aimed at Gunners manager Arsene Wenger.

Amidst roars of ‘Sacked in the morning!  You’re getting sacked in the morning!’ hurled at their coach, the Gunners later on regrouped to find Kieran Gibbs in the 33^rd minute knocking in the home team’s equaliser and first goal.

Summer signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain followed suit afterwards, launching a 25-yard kick in the 58^th minute that slipped past Shrewsbury keeper Ben Smith.

A short while after, Oguzhan Ozyakup entered the game to immediately serve up a shot which Yossi Benayoun converted into the Gunners’ third goal by the 78^th minute.

And as the waning minutes ticked, the chants from Shrewsbury fans had been replaced by Gunners fans chanting Wenger’s name.

Aside from giving Arsenal a ticket to advance in the Carling Cup, the win was also a much-needed uplift for a squad currently with one single win in the first five Premier League games.

Equally redeemed (if not more so) was Wenger, who had resorted to criticising his own squad days ago for their poor season-opening performance.

And despite the verbal attacks hurled at him, the Arsenal manager insisted that he is not at all rattled by calls for his resignation.

‘I am not bothered at all by And despite the verbal attacks hurled at him, the Arsenal manager insisted that he is not at all rattled by calls for his resignation.

‘I am not bothered at all by this speculation.  I am completely focused on doing well,’ he said.

‘I can understand that people are unhappy and criticise, but you know as well as I know people are very quick to go overboard.’

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