Two games in two late goals. Arsenal seem to like leaving their fans on tenterhooks don’t they?
In the scheme of things, a point against Everton has to be considered a good result, but what have we learnt about Arsenal from their opening games and in particular the dramatic comeback at Goodison?
What the late comeback at Everton taught us
Alexis Sanchez should not be played upfront alone
It was a failed experiment, but a necessary one. For me Besiktas away in the week would have been a better time to make this conclusion. Despite his impressive work rate Sanchez was simply left stranded by himself for the majority of his time on the field. This resulted in him dropping further back down the pitch and overall leaving attacking options highly limited. The solution? Ideally, sign Edison Cavani and you’re laughing. More realistically? Find a way to incorporate Sanchez effectively as a creative midfielder, perhaps with the freedom to roam the pitch and utilise his constant running. Regardless, Arsenal’s strike force still remains a hot topic; on a positive note Giroud contributed a hugely important goal and staked a claim to keep his spot as the first choice striker. The potential to see Sanchez play up front with Giroud might be the next logical experiment as they may complement each other rather well.
The Germans looked tired
Part of me wants to say fair enough lads; you’ve won the World Cup this summer. The other part of me wants me to see someone tell Özil it’s not acceptable to play misplaced passes and look entirely uninterested. There is a fine line between being tired and simply being lazy with basic aspects of football. As it is their first game back you have to be accepting of the fact it’s likely there will be a little bit of readjustment necessary for the first game back and give them time to adapt from the German team. Both Özil and Mertesacker will be vital in any success Arsenal are to have this season; they cannot be carried in key games. As I say, for now you have to accept them being half a yard off the pace. However, if Arsenal truly can get anywhere near the Premier League title, eventually they need to be half a yard ahead of their opponents, both psychically, mentally and in the way they present themselves when playing. There is certainly more to come from both and that is only a positive thing.
The midfield dynamic
Watching the build up to the game I saw Glen Hoddle- someone I admittedly have a tendency to disagree with- make an interesting point. In contrasting the Everton and Arsenal midfield he made the point that Everton perhaps had the better midfield dynamic in James McCarthy and Gareth Barry. At the time I scoffed; at full time I wholeheartedly agreed with him. In midfield at least Arsenal are spoilt for choice. Usually managers say such selection headaches are a good thing. Maybe so, but if you can’t find the balance in the quality you have it suddenly becomes a problem. Ramsey seems fine where he is but the rest all have the potential to interchange in their respective positions. Again it comes down to signings, something Arsenal have been better at this year but still not quite perfect if you are picky, which I am. Flamini, for instance, strikes me as someone who might need to be upgraded on in the forms of Khedira or co. Also in terms of discipline Everton were far superior: four Arsenal players found themselves booked; two from midfield. For Jack Wilshere and maybe Flamini too, this was purely down to frustration. The performance certainly taught us that the midfield, although packed with quality, still needs to be tinkered with in the aim to find the perfect fit in the team for each player.
Arsenal don’t give up
I’ve focused on the negatives, in a game where a point felt like a victory. Arsenal did not perform well, but moving forwards both Premier League games have shown a vital ingredient to success, one Manchester United were particularly good at when winning Premier League titles. The art of the comeback. At 2-0 down, conceding only moments before the half time whistle blew, you’d be forgiven for thinking defeat was most likely to come. I certainty did. The fact that Arsenal, without the marquee signing of Sanchez in the second half too, can produce such a spirited performance is certainly encouraging. Ideally you would not find yourself in a losing position to begin with. Already, though, for a new player like Chambers and the team as a whole, showing character when faced with extreme adversity is not only admirable but of the utmost importance in fulfilling the hopes of a successful season.
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