Kevin Whitcher
Ed’s note – I am currently abroad on a training course. I was unable to see anything but brief highlights of yesterday’s game. However, regular Gooner contributor Charlie Ashmore was good enough to step in for me and cover the piece on the match. My thanks to him for the piece that follows…
I cannot have been alone in expecting a typical "after the Lord Mayors show" performance from the team. Having once again shown what they can do when they put their minds to it last week, a trip to highflying Burnley on a cold wet winter’s days was surely the sort of match which would see all our frailties exposed once again.
The first disappointment was the loss of Ozil in circumstances which will have all the conspiracy theorists working overtime. It could of course be that he was genuinely ill but many will see this as yet further evidence of his lack of commitment.
This saw Iwobi given his chance again to slot into one of the forward three, meaning that we had a forward line of three Alex's. Interesting potential for calling chaos.
The game was probably not much different to what any of us expected. A hardworking Burnley side determined to make life as difficult as possible meant a first half of few clear chances. A lovely piece of work from Lacazette set Ramsey up with our best chance of the half but he was unable to control his half volleyed shot. At the other end Cech stood firm and Mustafi again had a terrific game making one superb block. His partnership with Koscielny and Monreal looks increasingly solid as the weeks go by.
The second half saw most of the chances fall our way. A nailed on penalty should have been given for a foul on Bellerin but wasn't. Meanwhile Burnley players seemed to be falling about with abandon at the slightest contact. The home fans did their best to exert pressure on the ref. All in all, I felt not the slightest sympathy when the ref pointed to the spot in the last minute for a push on Ramsey. It was difficult to tell for certain but there were certainly hands on Ramsey and whilst it would have been no surprise for it not to have been given, we would certainly have felt hard done by had both penalty appeals been waved away.
There has to be something to be said for the side's durability. Many of us will have expected the team to succumb in the way it has all too often done in similar circumstances, so to battle through the 90 minutes and end up with three points that sees us climb above Spurs in the table should not be dismissed. For a club that many of us believe is treading water, it is surprising that we find ourselves as much in the mix as all bar Man City. And yes, we have seen all this before so please don't read this as suggesting we are about to mount some sort of title challenge. But these days I find it helps to take each game and each result on its own merits and on that basis we have had a good fortnight domestically. I am not going to apologise for enjoying that.
As an aside, I wasn't at the game and it took me some time to find a watchable stream. The stream came with some online chat alongside it. I cannot be alone surely in still being disturbed by the intolerance and sheer anger that is exhibited by some of those that partake. Pride of place goes to the idiot who said he wished cancer on Stan Kroenke. Really? I have no difficulty with someone expressing the view that Kroenke is a cancer on the club - believing as I do that if he achieves his aim of full ownership, that will be the death knell for Arsenal - the metaphor would seem apt. But really, if you were that poster, did you really mean to wish cancer on another human being just because your team was drawing 0-0 (as the case was at the time)? If so, I suggest you take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror. In the cold light of day, you might not like what you see.
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