Charlton Athletic 1 - 0 Arsenal
Johansson 38            Vivas missed pen

New Year, same old story from Arsenal this season. Another away game, another defeat - from a game we should, and indeed could, have won.

Arsenal - missing half a team, and with Grimandi and Stepanovs in the heart of the defence - dominated the first half, yet managed to go in 1-0 down at half time, with Johansson heading in from close range as the interval loomed.

Charlton had a much better second half, and could have extended the lead - look out particularly for a real howler of a miskick from on-loan Shaun Bartlett.

Hope glimmered briefly when Arsenal were awarded a (fair) penalty. Sky's Andy Gray says Robert Pires was the nominated penalty taker, in the absence of Henry. But he'd been substituted, so...? Confusion reigned. Vivas volunteered - and frankly, Kiely didn't have to do much to stop it.

Arseweb has banged on about this before. Why can't anyone in our mega-million squad manage to score from the spot? Why was Vivas sent forward - what about a striker like Kanu? a dead ball specialist like Silvinho? a veteran like Dixon? a proven goalscorer like Ljungberg or Parlour?

And so we await the result from Old Trafford, hoping that a Di Canio-less West Ham can pull off a miracle against Man Utd. Or maybe we should just call it a day now.

The only consolation: the team which led the league on the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day has never gone on to win the Premiership. Hmm...

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