Kevin Whitcher
Yesterday’s convincing win at Everton saw the kind of Arsenal performance that would win them this season’s Premier League had they been able to produce it more often. And if they put a run of games like this together between now and the end of the season, they will certainly run the teams above them close and in all likelihood overtake Spurs. However, the gap to leaders Leicester might be too big. The Gunners would need them to have something of a collapse to make up the 11 point margin between the two sides, even though Claudio Ranieri’s side have played a game more. Winning every remaining match would give Arsenal 79 points. Leicester have 66, and 21 still to play for. They would need to lose three of their remaining seven matches (of which four are at home).
Perhaps it was a case of the pressure being off and Arsenal putting in a decent performance, with the consensus being that they have blown their chance. It wouldn’t be the first time. Still, let’s at least be glad that they have finally re-found their mojo in the Premier League. They’d won just two of their previous nine fixtures in a competition they were leading after Christmas. It should be borne in mind that Everton have had a very questionable record themselves at home of late, losing many of their recent matches. On paper, this looked like a difficult away fixture, in reality, it proved anything but.
Arsenal started Iwobi as they had at the Nou Camp, and Francis Coquelin replaced the injured Flamini in the starting eleven. The combination of Elneny and Coquelin worked well, providing a more disciplined base to the midfield. Not least because Elneny is less wasteful with the ball, less prone to get caught in possession (and out of position) as Aaron Ramsey has proven. His finishing needs a bit of work, but that debut goal at Barcelona will have done him no harm in that respect. He seems to dovetail fairly well with the attacking players and adds balance to the side. Danny Welbeck was the only UK born player to start yesterday. Remember when the club announced the deals of five UK born players signing long term contracts and the idea that the future was British (Wilshere, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gibbs and Jenkinson). Theo at that time was holding out for a better deal. The club need a certain number of homegrown players, but after yesterday’s performance, there is an argument that only Welbeck might start with any regularity when all of the above are fit (and in Jenkinson’s case, even back at the club).
Alex Iwobi was given the Man of the Match award, and there is no question his performances at both the Nou Camp and Goodison were a breath of fresh air. Prepared to take players on, work to find space and link up. Compare with Theo, who often does not find positions to receive the ball. Iwobi also works hard for the team. One very noticeable aspect of the match yesterday was how hard the Gunners worked to press their opponents. It was refreshing to see, and forced Everton into making errors and ceding possession. With the ball, there was a zip to their play, with more forward balls, more creative play, seemingly greater understanding in spite of the relative unfamiliarity on paper. They took apart a team that were inferior to them, something they have struggled to do far too often this season. It was as if they had been given a rocket up the arse. Frustrating on one level to see they are capable of playing to this level when they so often do not. And inconsistency is a byword for the Gunners’ season. There have been some very good performances, alongside the rank ones.
Perhaps it is personnel. Perhaps the mix of players has not been right. That is the manager’s job. Arsene Wenger decided that he did not need to buy another holding midfielder last summer, but with Elneny playing with such discipline yesterday, one might wonder whether Arsenal would have been better served by buying someone like Schneiderlin last summer. The defence looked far better, far less exposed. Mertesacker remained on the bench and Gabriel had an excellent game. The decision to leave a patently injured David Ospina on the field for the last quarter of the match mystified me. Sure, Macey’s the third choice keeper, but the Colombian’s reluctance to get involved in the physical stuff after taking his knock was a real gamble. Fortunately, the players in front of him generally cut out the danger before he had to get involved. Everton hit the post early on, but for the most part, were fairly nullified.
Perhaps, rather strangely, the defeat against Barcelona helped the team. Aside from giving Iwobi, Welbeck (who was excellent yesterday) and Elneny more game time, the opposition allowed them the space to create and demonstrate how well they can play against a quality side. Granted, the finishing did not happen, but there were no shortage of chances. That continued against Everton, although this time, two of the opportunities went in. We can wonder what difference Danny Welbeck might have made to the team were he fit all season, but critically, the club knew he was out for a long period before last summer’s transfer window closed, and chose to rely on Giroud and Walcott as their centre forwards. The development of Iwobi, the form of Welbeck and the impressive contributions of Joel Campbell must raise questions over Theo’s future at the club. He is starting to look surplus to requirements. Iwobi, after only a handful of appearances, already looks a far better player.
So Arsenal’s season is not yet officially dead. There is the slim hope that Leicester might suffer a Devon Loch style collapse and that Spurs will drop the points that ensure it is not they who capitalise. All three teams have no other competitions to distract them now. Whether Arsenal can play the kind of game they did at Everton when they are back on home turf facing a side that are more interested in parking the bus remains to be seen. Looking at the table, glory looks a long shot, but at least the flame on the candle of hope flickers a while longer.
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