Kevin Whitcher
On paper, I always thought that Arsenal could afford to lose this match, on the basis that they would then have to win the home matches against the two Manchester teams and get a draw away at Chelsea. In terms of their chances for the title, I never considered defeat at Anfield terminal.
However, one thing that did strike me about the performance, or lack of it at Liverpool, was how much Arsenal struggled to create much in the way of goal threat, in spite of the home side letting them pretty much have the ball for most of the second half. Wenger’s team, this season, have bounced back from previous reverses and poor performances. Yet the conclusion that comes from the match against Liverpool is that, when the quality of the opposition is greater, Arsenal genuinely struggle. Granted, they did beat Brendan Rodgers’ men at home earlier in the season. And Champions League wins against Napoli and Dortmund suggested the team were capable of beating the best. But of late, creatively, the team have looked somewhat lethargic.
It was an appalling performance defensively, but this match was like a runaway train. Liverpool’s opener should have been given offside. There is no mitigation for the second goal. It was simply an argument against zonal marking. But at two down, Arsenal were always prone to the counter attack and, given their creative bankruptcy, it seemed a matter of damage limitation by the time the third goal went in.
At 4-0 after 13 minutes, the mind recalled different results of relevance to the task in hand. Liverpool 4 Arshavinal 4 in 2009. Newcastle 4 Arsenal 4 in 2011. Reading 5 Arsenal 7 in 2012 (the Gunners 4-0 down at half time). More relevant seemed Liverpool 4 Arsenal 1 in 2007 (remember Wenger’s red tracksuit outfit?) or the Robbie Fowler hat-trick 3-0 in 1994 (for the speed of the goals going in).
Liverpool eased off, but even so, could easily have scored more than the five they ended up with. It will put an end to talk of Arsenal being undefeated with a central pairing of Mertesacker and Koscielny playing the full 90 minutes. The duo played poorly and seemed to have no answer to Liverpool’s counter attacks.
No-one in an Arsenal shirt really performed that well. Szczesny did make some good saves to keep the score down, but I can’t credit a keeper too much when five have gone past him. Wilshere showed a bit of spite, and perhaps Flamini would have been a better option than Arteta if he had not managed to get himself suspended, because attitude seemed somewhat lacking around the rest of the side.
Mesut Ozil had another indistinguished game. He is a player that never seems to take a game by the scruff of the neck, but can make telling contributions. And on other days, might as well not be on the pitch. Today was one of those. Ok, there is a settlement period with a lot of imported players. We generally do not see the best of them until their second seasons. However, given Ozil’s reputation and price tag, I think people would have expected more.
Only one team looked like champions elect here and it wasn’t the visitors. A bad day at the office or a sign of things to come? The mood in football can change quickly. Two home wins in the next two games will have people thinking that there is still plenty to play for this season. But the question is where the Gunners’ inspiration has gone. The impression is that organized defences can take care of Arsenal’s attack without too much difficulty, and put the game beyond them by the time stamina might be a factor in the concluding moments of matches.
More than once during the game I pondered the wisdom of not upping the bid for Luis Suarez last summer once it became apparent that the release clause of £40 million in his contract did not exist. Would Arsenal be a better proposition with Suarez instead of Ozil? He would have cost more, but was a proven success in the Premier League.
Wenger’s team need to up their game, starting on Wednesday evening against Manchester United. Based on this performance, it would be unrealistic to think Bayern Munich can be knocked out in Europe, so I hope that the FA Cup is not sacrificed with a weakened selection next weekend. The manager needs to be realistic in terms of trophies his team has the best chance of winning and the Champions League should be third on the list right now, given so few top sides will be in the last eight of the FA Cup.
It would be easy to write off this team’s chances of success this season, but it is too early for that. The signs in today’s performance certainly don’t bode well, but their position is still good. With Manchester City dropping two points at Norwich, nothing can be assumed, although I backed Chelsea for the title at the start of the campaign for no other reason that Jose Mourinho’s stock in trade is getting the required result in any given game.
My view is that Arsenal have, for the most part, turned into a team of flat track bullies. It’s been enough to get them into the Champions League every season since they stopped actually winning trophies, and this campaign, they have proved very consistent in taking points they would be expected to. Hence they are still in the mix. However, in the big games, the real crunch ones against the sides that do win silverware, most times they don’t show up. Moments of real quality are not seen often enough when it really matters. They used to have the players to produce these, but the likes of Cazorla and Ozil are not Pires and Bergkamp, and Olivier Giroud is certainly not Thierry Henry. The equivalent of Patrick Vieira plays for Manchester City these days, although he did pull on an Arsenal shirt in a pre-season friendly in the days when Vieira was the Gunners captain.
I wanted to believe that this season would be different, and as a supporter, dared to hope. Arsenal still have a chance of the title and I would not write them off just yet. However, they need to take seven points from the games against Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea, at the same time as continuing with the consistency they have shown against sides they are expected to beat. Trips to White Hart Lane and Goodison Park might need to produce away wins as well. Arsenal certainly can’t afford to drop many points, because I don’t think Chelsea will. City’s draw at Norwich gives some hope, and Liverpool cannot be completely discounted given they are still to entertain both City and Chelsea at home.
I fully understand people wanting to write this season’s team off after such a heavy and humiliating defeat and the truth is I suspect it won’t be long before I join them. However, they have time to recover, so final judgment is delayed here, at least until Wednesday’s game is done and dusted. Now that is a genuine must win affair…
The current issue of The Gooner will remain on sale for Wednesday’s home match v Man Utd and can also be bought online here. Issue 241 goes on sale at the Liverpool FA Cup game.
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