Kevin Whitcher
Rather like the replay against Swansea, we saw two sides of Arsenal either side of the interval. The first half version was not something one wants to see again, although we have seen it several times this season. After a fantastic early chance was spurned by Giroud, notably set through by Walcott, Chelsea were ahead within a minute.
There is no doubt the goal should not have been given due to the foul on Coquelin during the build-up, but to add insult to injury it was scored by Juan Mata. This guy thought he was an Arsenal player in the early summer of 2011. But the club dithered on completing the deal, missed a deadline which ensured they could have secured him on the cheap and Chelsea benefitted. A great piece of business by everyone at Arsenal Holdings plc, but fear not. The time when Mata should have been tied up was put to good use. Dick Law got us Joel Campbell, a player who was unable to get a work permit. What the hell are we paying these people for exactly?
So a goal that shouldn’t have been stood, as Arsenal were caught on the hop. But the second was worse, because of Abou Diaby’s cheap concession of possession that led directly to the penalty. Ramires undoubtedly dived, but referees invariably give those. So it was 2-0. The strange thing was that, for the remainder of the first half, it did not change the game. Chelsea continued to attack as if it was 0-0. Arsenal still had eleven players on the field, but frankly, you wouldn’t have known it. The home team were given so much space to play without any sense of pressure. Time for the Barcelona six second rule to come into Arsenal’s approach methinks. Except maybe the players to carry it out are simply not at the club. You have a large group who are richly rewarded for failure, because the standards expected of them are lower than they should be.
Ivan Gazidis can blame petrodollars, but remember this. When Arsenal decided to build a new stadium on the basis that it was the only way they could remain competitive, it was Manchester United they were trying to keep up with. There was no Abramovich, no Sheik Mansour in the picture. So United are the yardstick by which the success or otherwise of the move should be based. Look at the league table…
Fortunately, unlike at, for example, Norwich and Old Trafford earlier this season, the half-time team talk had some positive effect, as Arsenal meant business in the second half. And with the chances they did create as a result, they could have won this game. Ultimately though, they were not clinical enough in front of goal. Last season they had a striker who could find the net consistently. Now they don’t. However, they have £22.5 million more in the bank, so everything’s fine in Denver or wherever it is Stan Kroenke gets his updates about the club’s financial performance. It would be enlightening if, at the next AGM, someone asked the majority owner if he could remember a couple of specific results from the previous campaign. What was the score at Wigan away last season Mr Kroenke? Can you remember who Santi Cazorla scored a hat-trick against? One suspects he does not even watch highlights of the games.
The second half saw a succession of chances, with eventually one being converted by Walcott. There were more offside calls than is healthy, as Chelsea showed how to play a line. And ultimately, with the visitors chasing, counter attacks inevitably presented chances for Rafa Benitez’ team to make the game safe, with Demba Ba’s failure to convert an astonishing let off.
So Arsenal eventually made a fist of it, and were ultimately beaten by two goals that should not have been. However, their first half display frankly merited punishment, and the regularity of such apathetic displays is a cancer at the heart of the current team, one that does not appear to be being addressed. For 45 minutes, the only outfield player who seemed bothered about winning his battles was, inevitably, Jack Wilshere. The rest just didn’t seem that interested. It sure isn’t a recipe for winning.
The current issue of The Gooner, with a free 2013 calendar can be bought online here. Assuming the match on Wednesday v West Ham goes ahead, there will be a new one on sale then. 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.
