Hello again, only the one game to talk about this time, which is an unusual experience as an Arsenal fan these days, but it'll be the last for some time as it's two games a week from here on in until the international break (I think, don't quote me on it).
I'm not saying I found it challenging to wait a week between our games, but I've completed seven puzzles, painted 3 walls of the house and built the entire landmass of Africa out of Lego just to get through it. Turns out I have an unhealthy addiction to this class A drug - see what I did there 😉 - and 6 days feels like forever to have to wait to have my heart rate raised to 1000bpm by 11 men who struggle to stumble over the line.
The big question going into this game against Chelsea at home was this - what is the truth? Are we good or are Sp*rs terrible? (The latter is definitely true, but could both be true?) Have this team turned a corner since the half-bottle job at Wolves or was it just a one-off for the NLD?
Turns out we are none the wiser, really. On the one hand, we did not play as well as we seemed to play against Sp*rs and there were worrying signs in our performance against Chelsea (just control the game please). On the other hand, it's a big win under pressure against a good team in a London derby that has some rivalry there above the usual footballing side of things.
There's even the age old question being raised about whether we are too reliant on set pieces to win games (#throwback). For the record, I have no issue with our set pieces being a key weapon and route to goal for us. It would infuriate me during the last decade or so when every one of our corners would struggle to beat the first man. The issue for me is that something still doesn't quite look right in our general attacking play. I think it is down to a multitude of factors such as:
- Key players needing time to recover fully from injuries (Saka, Havertz, etc.)
- Arteta not fielding players in attack who complement each other (see my previous post highlighting the combination of Martinelli and Gyökeres)
- Almost every team we face in the Premier League playing a low/mid block against us
- Maybe a link to how the team are coached from an attacking point of view?
Now I want to be clear that we have been doing well in the open play goals department recently and that, if anything, our issue has been conceding silly goals that negate the open play goals we do score.
Therefore, I think the Arsenal problem is multifaceted and has changed over the course of the season. Many have suggested it might just come down to mentality, and I do see some logic to that when you consider the context of when our shaky performances have tended to happen this season - pressure on, in the lead in the title race, looking like we might actually win the league title - "Ahhhhh god forbid please help me I'm so scared!!!" - seems to be the mindset in these moments and it reflects in our performances.
Only Arsenal could be 2-1 up against 10 men and perform like it's the other way around. When Neto was shown his red card (Chelsea's 10th(!) this season) I text my mate saying "I think we're lucky Chelsea have clowns in their team...because we were bang in trouble". Why do we insist on playing this sick, twisted game of 'will we get so nervy we throw the points away' (needs a catchier name, I know) every single game recently? You could even argue this was present in the NLD at one stage as we conceded so soon after scoring our first goal and Sp*rs nearly got an equaliser again, if not for that refereeing decision going in Arsenal's favour (Not to rehash the debate on that decision - BORING).
What happened to early season Arsenal whose defence seemed impenetrable and people were talking about whether we would beat Chelsea's record of 15 goals conceded? (I never believed it for a second by the way, it'll never be done). Or what happened to middle season Arsenal that controlled games almost to our detriment? Games were so comfortable, secure and robotic that I could feel my eyes closing at times whilst watching.
Instead, we are now living life on the edge like an edgy 00's skater kid (cowabunga dude) whenever we go a goal up. We do quite well to get to that point but then performances change from day to night in an instant. I watch from behind the sofa in fear of another Gabriel mistake at the back, or Zubimendi serving it up for the opposition to score so helpfully that he has five star reviews on Yelp. As it happens I thought Gabriel was one of our better players against Chelsea and Zubimendi has been run into the ground so that comment doesn't totally apply to just this recent game, but you catch my drift man (wait am I the skater kid?). The most consistent thing about our recent league performances is Trossard playing dreadfully in my opinion, but I'd still start him ahead of Martinelli, because I think Martinelli is best off the bench in the league games.
I know this reads really negative but these are the overriding thoughts coming out of the game. It must be said that the three points is the main thing and to grind them out against tough opposition under that level of pressure is a huge boost for this team. I just think, ultimately, we are no closer to discovering the truth about where this team is at, other than five points clear at the top of the league with nine games to go. Sounds pretty good when you focus on those facts!
We may not fully know the truth about the team until 24th May, as we either lift our first Premier League trophy in 22 years, or burn the entire face of the Earth to the ground in rage before crying into a tub of ice cream on Mars.
Anyways, Brighton away next, one of our toughest remaining fixtures in the league in my eyes. I'd love us to replicate the 3-0 win in April 2024, that was a real statement victory during that run-in, even if ultimately it amounted to nothing (right, where's the ice cream?). With Kai Havertz back, we might see it replicated, as he was integral to that victory if memory serves me well. It could definitely serve me poorly, as I watched that game on Sky Go on my phone on the side of an A road - I was on the way back from a Christening and the car decided to have an issue. I was not about to miss the start of the game whilst roadside assistance took their sweet time to come and fix it, although given we fell short that season I probably could have missed it in hindsight. Gosh isn't life just a whirlwind?
Mansfield Town in the FA Cup should give Arteta a chance to rotate his squad to give them some well needed rest. It's because of this that I'd stick to a strong similar XI for the Brighton game in midweek. If I see Zubimendi touch one blade of grass in that Mansfield game I might have to go back to doing puzzles.
Until next time!
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