Wayne Rooney may have played down Arsenal’s title chances, but it was the Gunners who had the last laugh after the Champions League fixtures. United were quieted in a goalless draw against Sociedad while the current Premier League frontrunners claimed an impressive 1-0 victory at Dortmund.
Earlier in the week, Rooney said that Arsenal are often “In the top two until February or March and then [fade] away,” when asked about Arsenal’s title chances. Questions had previously been raised about their title chances, with many claiming Arsenal’s schedule had an easy start. A 2-1 loss at home to Dortmund further fuelled the critics who claimed that the Gunners had not been tested by top teams.
Resounding wins against Liverpool and Dortmund have football fans whistling a different tune. The Dortmund win was particularly impressive – Dortmund had won seven straight Champions League matches at home, and the only team to beat the club in last year’s competition was the eventual champions Bayern Munich.
The match truly was a clash of styles as Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp alluded to before the game. Klopp described Arsenal’s style of play as an “orchestra” but that it is “a silent song.” Klopp’s team, which plays a “heavy metal” style of football, won the battle of the bands at the Emirates. Arsenal were caught on the quick-paced Dortmund counter attack twice, playing possession too deep in the attacking half and leaving not enough cover in their own half.
Arsenal did a superb job defending in Dortmund. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny blanketed any surges up the middle by Robert Lewandowski and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Mikel Arteta was much more reserved; resting just in front of the back four while the rest of Arsenal’s midfield pushed forward.
The first 60 minutes crawled by, with Arsenal attempting to conduct the orchestra only to be met by the black and yellow wall. Dortmund came close on several occasions off of set pieces and counter-attacks. But Aaron Ramsey continued his fine form, grabbing a header in the six-yard box in the 62nd minute. The game came to life after the icebreaker –both teams pushed forward in attack and took more chances. The game easily could have had a few more goals in the final half-hour, but both defences did well to keep the score 1-0.
The attention now turns to Sunday’s contest, which features Arsenal taking on Manchester United at Old Trafford. Rooney’s comments will be ringing in the Gunners’ ears as they take to the pitch, eager to prove to everyone that they are legitimate title contenders. Three straight victories against Liverpool, Dortmund and Manchester United would be hard to ignore, and even the most skeptical of fans would be forced to take Arsenal seriously.
Jack Wilshere, Mathieu Flamini and Theo Walcott are set to return for Sunday’s fixture, while Lukas Podolski is set to return by the end of November. Once the injured Gunners return, Arsène Wenger will have a wealth of midfield and attacking options to choose from. Regardless of how Sunday’s match ends, clubs across England and Europe should be wary of Arsenal once again.
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