Kevin Whitcher
Football is, ultimately, about results, and on that level, Arsenal can consider themselves satisfied with three points from their opening Champions League match of this season. They will also be cognizant they had a lucky escape, because on the balance of good chances, there is no doubt Montpellier should have won. The second half saw them hit the crossbar, shoot straight at Mannone with the goal gaping, miss an easy chance when Abou Diaby lost possession in his own area and survive a penalty appeal against the self-same Diaby that should have resulted in a spot kick.
Steve Bould may have been in charge on the bench last night, but the new found defensive resilience and team organization was nowhere to be seen after the interval. What it demonstrated was that the team have a lot more work to do before they can feel confident about closing a game out, and displays such as this one will be punished by more clinical teams.
The general feeling ahead of the game was that Montpellier, having had a disastrous start to the season, would be seen off with relative ease. Not so. An early penalty for them – which looked harsh initially, but was in fact correctly called – gave them the advantage, but Arsenal rallied strongly and scored twice before 20 minutes had been played. For a European match, it was very open with space to exploit at both ends.
Before the interval, Arsenal looked in control for the most part, but what a contrast in the second half. Montpellier understandably went for it and the Gunners’ goal led a charmed life. There were a limited number of Arsenal forays forward, but the French side’s dominance led to some gilt-edged chances that will probably haunt the memories of their fans should they fail to qualify for the last 16.
It certainly raised questions about the perception that the Arsenal of 2012/13 is a tougher beast to break down, but hopefully, they will learn from this and we will not see any repeats. Abou Diaby returned to the liability we know of old trying to showboat in his own penalty area, ending up on his backside. A short while later, his challenge for the ball which should have seen the award of a second penalty to the home team was naïve to say the least.
Still, a win’s a win and ultimately, how it is achieved is an irrelevance. Just ask Chelsea. Having said that, Arsenal will have to be more switched on when the going gets tougher if they are to avoid another ultimately disappointing European campaign. Let’s hope Manchester City enjoy less easy chances than Montpellier had when Arsenal visit Eastlands next Sunday.
To end on a high hote, the result aside, both Arsenal’s goals were the result of good attacking play, demonstrating that this side of the game continues to progress after the frustrations of the opening two Premier League fixtures. Sure, Giroud had another goalless game, but as long as the team is winning, it doesn’t matter who is on the scoresheet. He played his part in the opening goal well enough, and I have no doubt the goals will come. Next weekend wouldn’t be a bad time to start.
The current issue of The Gooner went on sale last Saturday v Southampton and can be bought online here where the first issue of the season (which was only out for the first home match v Sunderland) is also available. There is also an e-version of the issue available to read on your ipad/tablet/iphone/android. The app is free and you can download the first few pages of each issue as a taster before deciding whether or not to purchase the whole thing
