Kevin Whitcher
More often than not this season, we have seen a very different Arsenal at home than on the road, with yesterday’s win against Stoke being a prime example. The players, far more comfortable in their surroundings and less intimidated by the atmosphere, competed and established their superiority over a Stoke side who, in footballing terms, they should beat habitually, regardless of the venue.
Obviously psychological and physical factors come into play, resulting in some difficult days at the Britannia stadium, but it should be noted that yesterday, Mark Hughes’ team were probably no less aggressive than they had been at the beginning of December. Referee Jon Moss seemed equally lenient. Only on this occasion, the Gunners were not intimidated and played the game they wanted to.
The result was a highly satisfying and credible display, in which all of the players deserve praise. On one level, it is slightly frustrating, as it shows what this group are capable of. The key to delivering on that promise is obviously consistency in their focus, determination and approach. How that can be found is the 64 million dollar question.
One man that this does not generally apply to is Alexis Sanchez. Whether it was Amy Lawrence or her sub-editor at the Guardian who came up with the term the bionic mosquito to describe the Chilean, they have captured the essence of the player wonderfully. This is the kind of character that can, in the right set-up, lead a team to a title. It is too early to compare him with Thierry Henry in terms of his contribution to Arsenal’s cause, but it is one, I hope, we can make with justification in the not-too-distant future. Praise is due to Arsene Wenger for bringing him to the club. The failure to make the most of his talents by not resolving other key areas of the team is well-worn territory. However, it would be an incredible waste were Alexis not to win titles in his time at the club, because he is evidently a player that can make the difference. It looks like he can go on forever, and with two goals and an assist yesterday, his importance to the team is obvious.
Elsewhere, it was notable that David Ospina started between the sticks, and looked solid. The crowd quickly embraced the ‘Ooooooooo…spina!’ chant for his goal kicks which will provide a bit of atmosphere even in the upper tiers as long as he is playing. Mathieu Flamini was fit again, but significantly, Francis Coquelin retained his place, and deservedly so. There are obvious doubts he is the top grade defensive midfielder the team require, but he definitely has his chance now. Next weekend at Manchester City is a huge opportunity for him to stake a claim to remain in the starting eleven. Realistically, pessimism he can do this is justified, but he has had two very decent matches in a row, so who knows. Gametime has certainly improved his displays and he was far more influential than he was in the horrorshow at St Mary’s, although that was only his second game back. Flamini might be drafted in alongside him to give the team a more defensive-minded set up, the alternative presumably being Aaron Ramsey, who would probably have had a run-out yesterday were it not for the injury to Debuchy.
On that note, there is little that needs to be said about Arnautovic’s shove that led to the defender’s dislocated shoulder. It was gratuitous and an example of Stoke’s general modus operandi. They do play a bit more football under Mark Hughes, and the signing of Bojan is testament to that. However, they also use roughhouse tactics in the style of their manager’s own playing days. Although the game has moved on, some Premier League referees remain stuck in the past and indulge such an approach. And as long as they do, injuries like this will happen. The Stoke player did not intend to put his opponent out of action for six weeks, but he did intend to let Debuchy know that physically, he could expect to be intimidated as long as the official did not raise a yellow card. Peter Crouch’s tendency to elbow opponents in the face is another sorry example. The Stoke fans love it, and if football is a battle, and sometimes it is, even the best teams have a cynical edge. Arsenal’s solution in the current Premier League is that they have to take an ‘If you can’t beat them, join them’ approach. Remember Adams, Bould, Keown, Vieira, Bergkamp, Gilberto, Lauren – all title winners. There are others too. All capable of the dark arts where required. Does the current roster have such characters? One or two, but no-one that comes near in terms of playing quality. Too many nice guys. Look at the top two. Teams stuffed with players who will do what it takes to win a football match, good, bad and ugly. Arsenal today are known for their soft underbelly. That needs to change. Even the beautiful Barcelona of Pep Guardiola had Puyol, Busquets and Dani Alves. Cynics to a man.
Still, the good guys won in north London yesterday, and fifth place gives them an excellent chance of achieving the principle objective for this (and these days every) season. Theo Walcott had a miss that reminded us of his chances spurned the previous weekend against Hull. We can live with it when it doesn’t matter, but the fear is that when it really does, he will miss the target or hit it straight at the keeper. Time will tell.
Mesut Ozil’s return to action was also welcome. If he, Alexis and Walcott can remain fit and start matches together, it will be very interesting to see how they combine. The manager could have some delightful selection headaches in the near future, at least regarding his attacking options.
Next weekend is really an opportunity for the team to put a marker down and demonstrate that they are able to focus on a result and play a disciplined, controlled, mature game of football. In that sense, it can be treated as a warm-up for their Champions League tie with Monaco. Last season’s trip to the Etihad was a nine-goal affair. If we see a repeat of that, then nothing will have been learned in the time since. A draw would be an excellent result and Arsenal should begin the match with this mindset. Their recent away fixture Premier League record has been L-W-L-D-W-L. Optimism is understandably in short supply, but football is nothing if not unpredictable.
I am now on Twitter@KevinWhitcher01.
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Further Reading
A sequel to Arsènal – The Making of a Modern Superclub and entitled Arsène and Arsenal The Quest to Rediscover Past Glories has been written by myself and co-author Alex Fynn. It takes up the story of the club from the last update of the previous book, and can be bought online here. Use the promo code ‘Gooner’ to get 10% off the publisher’s price of £8.99.
