Thankful For Small Mercies

This was a day inevitably dominated by Liverpool finally winning the title - and many congratulations to them; they're a very fine side from front to back, and well-deserving of the trophy (yet despite Arsenal concerns all the way into January they are not Invincible) - Small Mercy Number One.

However Arsenal fans were more concerned about what might befall them at a ground where they have often struggled over the years. Fortunately, Southampton are a) not very good and b) were in a very generous mood - Small Mercy Number Two.

There was as much happening off the pitch as on it, and I'll cover that a bit later on, but a quick recap of the game would probably read:

• Both teams created early chances. Arsenal's were considerably better than Southampton's and Nketiah had already had the ball in the net (disallowed for Saka straying offside before his assist) and Aubameyang had missed a very good opportunity cutting in from the left - I'll come back to that too - before Nketiah took advantage of goalkeeper McCarthy's howler to give Arsenal the lead
• From then on Arsenal sat back and looked to hit Southampton on the break. A dangerous 'tactic' that was almost punished on two or three occasions; and frankly there was no need for it as Arsenal had looked the better side prior to the opening goal. Inviting pressure can lead to problems, and I'm afraid that as Arsenal fans we were all waiting for the really not-very-funny punchline
• And so we had the best part of an hour of attack vs defence - and with Holding in excellent form and with an interesting 3-5-2 formation in use (with Tierney tucked in alongside the centre-backs and Saka pushing forward as wing-back) Arsenal did often look dangerous on the break. Aubameyang again wreaked havoc (when given the opportunity, anyway) from his starting point wide on the left flank. Somewhere in there, Ings created a good chance for Armstrong, Redmond shot into the side-netting and Martinez (solid throughout) saved well from Long
• And finally the punchline, featuring a slightly unfortunate red card for Stephens as he tried to deal with a stray pass from midfield, and the subsequent free kick leading to substitute Willock's first Premier League goal

So a very forgettable game ended in a routine 2-0 win. If there is such a thing as a routine win for Arsenal these days - this was incredibly just their third away victory this season and culminated in a return to the top half of the table. Oh how we celebrated...

And so to matters around and off the pitch:

• I'd give high marks for their performance to Martinez, Holding, Saka and Nketiah. Mustafi and Tierney were both solid enough (let's hope that the latter's late departure was merely down to a minor muscle issue and nothing worse), but I'm still to be convinced that Bellerin will ever get back to his previous form - he has lost a deal of pace, and his positional sense was again lacking
• In midfield, Xhaka returned and gave some much-needed structure to the side. Ceballos, I'm afraid, can go. He has not adapted to the Premier League and again looked slow. What Real Madrid are going to do with him next season I cannot imagine
• And of course Guendouzi was dropped - for 'squad management' reasons was Arteta's line, but it was quite clearly disciplinary following his reported taunting of Brighton players in the previous game. Perhaps that's the final straw at Arsenal for the young man; he's clearly talented, but needs coaching in his in-match thought processes, and more importantly needs to grow up quickly as he does not appear to have learnt from previous misdemeanours
• Further forward Saka was once again influential - amazing for an 18-year-old, and he is Arsenal's brightest teen prospect since Jack Wilshere (he is today's Small Mercy Number Three, but I wish he'd put pen to paper!). Nketiah did a good job, and of course opportunistically scored his 5th goal in his last 7 games - an excellent return - as he was preferred to Lacazette (surely on his way in the summer)
• What Nketiah's inclusion means is that Aubameyang, the side's main source of goals, was once again carted out onto the left hand side. And look, he created some good chances and was unlucky not to score himself, but one does get the feeling that he is wasted (and frustrated) out there. Would Ian Wright have been happy with such treatment? - I don't think so. Should he also leave then that would make Arteta's rebuilding job (with the need to replace a 30-goal a season man) all the tougher
• And finally, whither Arsenal's top wage-earner, Mesut Ozil? The answer is below. I'm  not sure that he moved from his seat for the entire game, and it is clear there once more that that are issues between him and his Coach. Such a wasted talent - I would love to see Ozil at 10, pulling the strings for Aubameyang at number 9!                                                                                                   
  

Arsenal now move on to their FA Cup quarter final tie at Bramall Lane on Sunday. Sheffield United suddenly look strangely vulnerable compared to how they looked prior to the enforced break, but whether Arsenal can take advantage is another matter. Gone - at least for the moment - are the days of expectation. Instead it's merely hope, but a win is a win - that's the most important Small Mercy.

Sh*tshow By The Sea

Whatever the opposite of 'superlative' is, I'm running out of the right words to use to describe how the 2019-20 season has gone for Arsenal.

The latest instalment saw another abject display, against what journalists and ex-professionals might call an 'honest and hard-working' Brighton side ('honest' is not a word that I'd use) that led to late and ignominious defeat. And I pick out the word honest for two reasons.

Firstly, the continual fouling performed by Bissouma in midfield for which referee Atkinson - now very close to Mike Dean at the bottom of my list of favourite referees - allowed him to get away with merely a late telling-off (and let's not lose sight of the forearm block he performed on Saka in the second half). 

And secondly the late, unncessary challenge by Maupay on Leno that led to the latter's quite obviously serious knee ligament injury. This reminded me very much of the challenge perpetrated by Arnautovic (the Poundland Ibrahimovic) on Debuchy all those years ago, which ruined the full back's Arsenal career before it had started. If you challenge a player who has both feet off the ground, then you risk perpetrating a serious injury; it's not rocket science. That Maupay should score the winner in injury time merely added insult to injury.

However... this must not detract from a number of serious issues that very much came to the surface during the game:

• Defeat to Manchester City can easily be put down to coming up against a highly technical and well-drilled side of better players, but it now very much looks like our analysis of that game was wrong. Arsenal were really poor in that game, and against vastly inferior opposition looked little better. The cracks that were papered over after the City game were blown wide open against Brighton
• The reaction to Leno's injury was tepid. Arsenal sides with bigger characters would have responded entirely differently. Remember Old Trafford 2003? This lot simply lack the fight and team spirit to respond correctly
• There is something seriously lacking in the Arsenal midfield, and wholesale improvements must be made in the close season. Ceballos looked slow not just of feet but also of thought; whilst Guendouzi, nominally the 'defensive' midfielder, went though the entire game without making a single tackle (cue comparisons to Bissouma). That Saka, playing in his third different position in two games, should have outshone them is really poor
• There is also clearly something clearly lacking in the dressing-room itself. I said this about Emery, but it bears repeating about Arteta; he cannot seem to motivate these players. So, in fairness to Emery who additionally had a language barrier to overcome, it's quite clear what the common denominator is - the players themselves. At this level, they're supposed to be self-starters, but as a group they do not show this at all. The body language of many of them is poor, and the defence once more looked all over the place and desperate for an Adams/Campbell type to knock them literally into shape
• If I want to criticise Arteta, it will be on his substitutions. We haven't seen Martinelli at all, and I'd love to know why. As for not bringing on Ozil, there's not much to say that hasn't been said before
• The season is clearly a write-off at this point, and we should be grateful to already have the mythical 40 points on the board. Unfortunately, lack of European football is not going to help as far as the transfer market is concerned, but in order to protect his investment Kroenke must act. For me, this is also Sanllehi's last chance or he's gone

So what of this squad? Many fans are already doing a Keep or Bin exercise on them, and for me if it were at all practical I'd get shot of 75% of them. Although that's too much churn. But there is clearly something very wrong in the dressing-room if even a man like Arteta (who has been schooled in Management by two of the Greats) cannot get into their heads.

Either way, personnel need to change in a wholesale manner; and very soon. It is clear to me that the current talented cohort of youngsters need a number of seasoned and highly motivated professionals to help bring out the best in them. But this current Arsenal squad possesses very few of those.

And so to Southampton away; a match of which I have little or no expectation or hope. This fixture is a bogey for Arsenal in any case, although it should be one of the more winnable of the remaining games. Lest we forget that we still have Liverpool, Spurs, Leicester and Wolves to come, along with the FA Cup tie against Sheffield United. I can literally barely watch any more.

Anyway, I'm a glutton for punishment so I'll be back in a few days. Stay safe and keep alert.

We're back - with a Thud!

Premier League football is back! And for all that has changed in the world over the past three months or so, some things never do change; Arsenal are still the Arsenal we knew and 'loved' before, and David Luiz is still the same David Luiz.

So after a hiatus of 100 days, commencing the day that Mikel Arteta fell ill and tested positive for COVID-19, the manager made his first return visit to the Etihad; and with a team selection full of surprises.

I'm not going to dwell too much on what's been going on in the world in the interim, as it dominates our every waking minute, but here's a summary of what has been in particular touching the hearts and minds of Arsenal fans in that time:

• When can fans come back to the grounds?
• Will Aubameyang stay (based on last night, why would he)? And what news on a contract for Saka?
• How much will the Board support the Head Coach in the transfer window?
• How much is Arteta prepared to put his faith in the very talented current cohort of youngsters?
• How much has the extra time Arteta had with the players on the training ground made a difference?
• What the hell is going on with Mesut Ozil?
• #BLM (and #FPP)

And so to the match. And once more team selection was a great surprise to all. No Luiz, Pepe or Lacazette in the side. A start for Mari alongside Mustafi. Saka on the right wing and Willock at 10 - and Ozil nowhere to be seen.

There are rumours that Arteta called the entire first team squad to an important Zoom meeting a week ago, and that two players had said that they couldn't make it... what else they could have been doing I just can't imagine!?! I'm not going to speculate on who those two were - I'll leave that to your imagination. Whether that had an impact on team selection is pure conjecture, but I have my suspicions...

I'm also advised (unofficially) that the squad is not at all united. It's splintered along stars/youngsters lines, several players want to leave for numerous reasons - including not having been able to settle in London - and for all the talk of unity things are rather less rosy in the camp than is being portrayed. But I'd imagine that things will be a lot clearer by the time next season commences, and we may see a lot of 'churn'.

I'd been reading on social media that Arsenal fans were optimistic going into this run in, and specifically into the City game: 'It's a good time to play them.' ' I'm hearing that we're fitter than them.' 'They'll be more interested in the Champions League.' 'Arteta has had extra time with them on the training pitch, and that's going to help.' 'Arteta knows City well, so he'll know how to counteract them.' 'We can make a real run for the Champions League places. Especially with City's impending ban opening up 5th place.'

This was all, I was sure, a load of over-optimistic claptrap... and when I read Arsenal fans predictions of victory at the Etihad I had to chip in in order to sound notes of caution. I was in the minority, but I wasn't afraid to throw in a good dose of realism to the conversation.

'Be realistic', I posted. 'Do you genuinely believe that we can go there and win? They're miles ahead of us - much better players and with an acknowledged style of play.' And I wasn't the least surprised to be - along with a few other 'grounded' supporters - proved correct.

Early on, Arsenal held their own, and even created the odd half-chance or two. There was a plan, and it looked promising for a short while. But the early injury to Xhaka disrupted the side - Ceballos brings something else to the party - and Mari's calf/ankle problem in the 24th minute proved to be the turning point.

In truth, by midway through the first half the tide was already beginning to turn, as City began to pin Arsenal back. Much as I suspected would happen... And it was only a matter of time before the breakthrough occurred. That it should be as a result of a mistake by an Arsenal centre-back can of course be no surprise to us, with Luiz having come on to replace Mari and partner Mustafi. As it was, Luiz's half-hearted attempt to clear a De Bruyne through ball led to the ball skipping up off his thigh and into the path of Sterling, who hammered the ball past Leno from close range. The goalkeeper had made three decent saves in the previous 5 minutes, but he had no chance with Sterling's effort. The annoying thing was that this was in first half stoppage time - of course a psychologically difficult time to concede.

Early in the second half, as City expanded further on their dominance with even Ederson playing defence-splitting long balls from his own area, Luiz was caught out again. Mahrez got on his wrong side and instead of merely shadowing him into the area as best he could, Luiz put his hand on the Algerian's shoulder and dragged him back. Penalty (the 4th conceded by Luiz this season and remarkably similar to his attempt to haul Salah back at Anfield in August), inevitable red card, and ball buried in the back of the net by De Bruyne.

(Luiz's contract is up in 12 days. He is banned for three matches, and that takes him past the option date. He has cost the club a fortune. For all the current centre-back injuries and woes, I'd tell him that it's time up now. He can go.)

At this point, thankfully, City declared. The match was over as a contest and they treated the remaining 40 minutes as a fitness/training session. Thank goodness for that! But there was still time - after Ederson had collided sickeningly with young left back Garcia to force the latter off on a stretcher (and thus, with both sides down to 10 men and thus perhaps giving Arsenal a slim chance of getting back into the game - I never really believed it possible to be honest) - for future England star Phil Foden to score the third after a stunning interchange between Sterling and substitute Aguero had cut Arsenal apart.

Thus the scoreline better represented the way the game had gone. And illustrated the gulf between the sides. City march on, and Arsenal's heirachy have an awful lot of work to do.

Afterwards, there were cryptic references from both Arteta and Luiz (brave enough to come out and do an interview) to what's going on behind the scenes. We're unlikely to ever find out the truth, but it's clear that a new broom needs to be taken to the Arsenal squad and that the road back is long.

I hold out little hope for the rest of the season. We need to start again. For me, the priority must be to tie Saka down and give more kids a run in the side. Auba is surely off to greener pastures - I know that I would be.

I'll be back on Sunday with a post-Brighton post. In the meantime, stay safe; it's all we Arsenal fans have got.

Cups (and only one of them is Golden!)

It's been a week or so since my last post, and there's quite bit to cover. Most of it is good, with one gigantic exception; that of the embarrassing Europa League exit at the hands of Olympiacos. I'll cover that first.

Having nicked a 1-0 win in Greece, Arsenal very much had the advantage going into the home leg last Thursday. But despite the selection of an experienced side, the performance and ultimately the result were very disappointing.

I remarked to my mates sitting alongside me during the game that the performance was something of a flashback to the Emery days; loads of sideways passing against a side sitting deep, little movement up front to help those looking for the killer pass, and almost no chances created. The Greeks sneaked an early lead (the third successive goal conceded by Arsenal directly from a dead ball situation) and then sat back, containing the little that was thrown at them with ease and content to try to hit Arsenal on the break.

When Aubameyang scored with that magnificent overhead kick, I was of course delighted, but a little voice in my head was saying 'Too early...' to me - and there were of course only 6 minutes to go, so that's mad... surely Arsenal could hang on for 6 minutes? But no; a needless corner conceded, and a serious of further individual errors leading to Arsenal falling behind once more.

At which point I left the ground with my son, hoping to avoid the crowds. And it was only the next morning when I saw Aubameyang's horror miss with the last meaningful kick of the game. However, I'm not going to hold that against him too much. He has bailed Arsenal out of trouble on too many occasions to make a meal out of one (albeit critical) missed chance.

However, this is a new stark reality for Arsenal, as illustrated by the latest set of financial results issued by the club the very day after the Europa League exit. Champions League football is vital to Arsenal and a third year without it will be disastrous, leading to the sort of downward spiral that I have mentioned before in this blog; a downward spiral that only the level of injection of cash into the club that we know the owner will not be prepared to make can reverse.

Which leads one to question Mr Kroenke's sanity, frankly. Why would he wish to preside over such a downward spiral? How can he expect his investment to appreciate if he neglects it in the way he has? Hopefully his son will convince him to take the necessary action.

Not that, despite the closure of the Europa League door, Champions League football is completely out of the question. Despite Arsenal languishing in 10th place in the table, there are few points separating 10th and 4th (or 5th; whither Manchester City's CAS Appeal?) and a decent string of results will catapult them right back into the frame. The next 4 matches - West Ham, Brighton, Norwich and Southampton - are 'must-wins'.

And now to the weekend. With Arsenal having a free weekend due to the Carabao Cup Final (as if away to Manchester City is likely to yield points...), every other side in the Top 4/5 scrap, bar Wolves (who I excuse fully as they beat Tottenham) and Sheffield United (who also had a free weekend), dropped points. So that's all good news.

But the best news of all was of course Liverpool's defeat at Watford. They cannot now go unbeaten this season, and Arsenal remain THE Invincibles. This has been covered thoroughly elsewhere, but I do feel that Theirry Henry's dubbing of the unbeaten season as 'the invisible trophy' sums it up. OK, it's not silverware, but it's just as big. In fact, it's Golden. And it's such a relief to see that opportunity gone for Liverpool now.

Many will argue that Arsenal's 12 draws cloud the unbeaten season, but it's the zero in the L column that really mattered at the end of the day. Liverpool don't have that now, for all that they have in the W column.

And so to a frenzied Fratton Park on a windy Monday night. Arteta chose no less than 5 starters aged 20 or under, and gave a debut to Pablo Mari. I'll pick the following out of the game:

1. The BT Sport commentary was biased (with Jermaine Jenas on the team, what could one expect?). They had a clear agenda and pained a different picture to the one I was looking at

2. Whilst Arsenal looked disjointed early on, I felt that they were in little or no danger of defeat, and once they got to grips with their own unfamiliarity playing with each other and took the lead I thought that it was Game Over. And so it proved

3. Not sure how David Luiz got the Man of the Match award. OK, he did a solid job, but for me Reiss Nelson's two assists made him my candidate for that award. He and Martinelli will now be knocking at the door of the Premier League starting line-up once again, and Arsenal have a big batch oif exciting youngsters for the years ahead

4. A solid start at the back for Pablo Mari. Sterner tests will follow

OK, that's me done. I'll be back reporting - I sincerely hope - on a comfortable home win over West Ham on Saturday. Toodeloo.

Moving on...

Well, that was nerve-wracking! A hard fought win over an Everton side that is improving at the same rate as Arsenal are.

And there are, as always, both positives and negatives to take from the performance. On the positive side; another (exquisite) assist from Bukayo Saka, the cross turned in sublimely by Nketiah; an Henry-like run and finish (on the end of a Bergkamp-like pass from David Luiz) from the free-scoring Aubameyang; and some resilience as the team tired against a pretty good Everton forward line (in particular Richarlison, who is not only strong and tricky on the ball, but possesses electric pace).

On the negative side, an unfortunate injury for the returning Kolasinac, and some horrendous defending at set pieces that must be addressed were the lowlights.

For Arsenal fans' delectation, here are two photos that will assuredly appeal - kudos to the man who put these together:

And so to the match. Firstly, Arteta's team selections never fail to surprise (but not in the worrying way that Emery's used to), but it's difficult to argue with the inclusion of Eddie Nketiah as whilst he has some way to go to become as useful to the side as Lacazette, whose role as first line of defence should not be understated, he did well enough in general play and scored a beauty. As for the other changes - well, the game in Athens did much to influence that as players were judiciously rested.

On the whole, it would be difficult to single out too many players for particular praise; with the exception of Aubameyang, who as we all know and as the rest of the football is starting to realise is world-class. And on top of his movement and finishing ability, he works very hard. Admirable. 

I did have concerns during the match that with Xhaka continually splitting out to the left into an auxiliary left back position, thus giving first Kolasinac and then Saka the opportunity to bomb forward, that Ceballos was being left isolated two or even three to one in central midfield. But the latter got to grips with this as the match wore on, and his ability on the ball made this less of an issue than it may have been.

Anyway, it was something of a strange game with goals scored so early and late in each half, and Arsenal looked to manage their 3-2 lead for what felt like an eternity instead of perhaps looking to exploit Everton on the break. However, if we attribute that to Everton's greater reserves of energy having not played for a fortnight, then that is perhaps understandable. Suffice to say that Arsenal rode their luck to claim three precious points.

And so, with more winnable games to follow, it looks like the gap to the Top 4/5 is going to narrow over the next month. On to Europa League (following a decent performance result away from home), a tricky-looking FA Cup tie at what will be a vibrant Fratton Park, and then three eminently winnable League games. Things are looking up under Mikel Arteta.

Sweet Caroline!

I’m on holiday (bad timing, some may say, with two home Premier League games in a week), but hey; I’m sitting in a beach front cafe in the West Indies and you’re not!

What that did mean, however, is that I struggled for a feed for the Newcastle game and only found one 10 minutes before half time. As it turns out, following the @Arseblog Live Blog as I was, it would appear that having no feed was a blessing in disguise.

So following a very slow start - against a rather poor side - during which Arsenal Twitter were wondering if the players were still metaphorically in Dubai - Arsenal finally started to click into gear in those 10 or so minutes leading up to half time. Whether it was the team selection - which nobody could have predicted - or just the need to get to grips with a low block, a big centre forward and swift wingers looking to hit you on the break when the onus is absolutely on you to make the running I don’t know. But it’s something that must be addressed; top sides are capable of hitting the ground running from the first minute. Arsenal could certainly have been behind after half an hour.

But from then on there was only going to be one winner. Even before the goals came, they looked inevitable as Arsenal’s superior class took over. And this despite giving up two very decent chances to the opposition. We saw excellent performances all over the pitch, and I will single out Saka, Caballos and Pépé for extra praise. Although - and I have said this before - the quality of the opposition has to be borne in mind.

And so to Mesut Ozil. Now here’s a thought; he had a particularly influential game, and that may be down to having Ceballos behind him instead of either of the more defensive duo of Torreira and Guendouzi in tandem with Xhaka. Ceballos is the nearest we have had to Santi Cazorla (and Cesc before him), and I wonder if it’s his extra ability to create space for himself with a sharp turn that helped Ozil exploit the space that he invariably finds? Food for thought; but alongside that this may not work against stronger opposition.

Four lovely goals. A clean sheet. Goals and assists for Pepe and substitute Lacazette. Another goal for Aubameyang. Another assist - with gratuitous nutmeg - from Saka. And of course the 35-pass move that led to Ozil’s goal. A perfect day and result.

Now Arsenal must exploit the relatively easy run of fixtures they have for the next month. The Manchester City ban opens up a wealth of possibilities.

I’m still waiting for somebody to beat Liverpool, by the way... the anxiety is growing.

Right, I’m back off to the pool. See you next week.

There are draws, and then there are draws...

Here is a photograph of N'Golo Kante doing a very good impersonation of John Terry's slip against RvP. Or, come to that, Steven Gerrard's considerably more famous slip against Chelsea. This was one of the very few highlights of the away draw at Stamford Bridge; although the way the game finished and the effort on show makes one wonder if this was a watershed for the side? - that remains to be seen.

But I do have two matches to review in this post, having not posted following the Sheffield United game. And the two games do sum up where Arsenal are at the moment. The Sheffield game showed where the team needs to improve, and the Chelsea game shows where it has improved; because I don't see how that result could have come about under Emery.

Against Sheffield United, it was a case of Arsenal failing to turn their dominance into sufficient goals, and succumbing to a late equaliser - shades of the shattering home defeat to Chelsea. And then there was the Pepe penalty incident...

To be honest, I didn't think it was a penalty at the time (many around me did) but having watched it back, and having seen similar incidents this season awarded as penalties (including against Arsenal, I should add) you'd have to be disappointed that it was not awarded. I'm not having any of that Mike Dean nonsense. He's not biased; he's full of self-importance, but he likes to let the game flow and I'd suggest that he's merely inept (many of our referees are; look at the season Martin Atkinson is having!).

So Arsenal weren't far enough ahead, one goal is never comfortable, and they paid the price. Typical, one might say; if just half of these draws had turned into wins, we'd be far better off in the table.

And so to Chelsea. A slow start and very much on the back foot, and then...

Now, Shkodran Mustafi - bear with me here - is not a bad defender. He's strong, good in the air, not slow, and works hard. But boy, is he prone to mistakes!!! It feels like there's a major rick in him every time he goes onto the pitch.

Having watched his recent video, I do have some sympathy with him. Centre halves do get badly punished when they make mistakes. And it's clear that this preys on his mind, as of course does the abuse he gets on social media as a result. Who wouldn't be susceptible to that?  The trouble is that there are just too many mistakes, and as a result of that it seems clear to me and many others that for everybody's sake he should move on. The rarified atmosphere of the Premier League is clearly beyond his abilities; for all that he has a World Cup winner's medal.

And yesterday's mistake cost the team dearly. An awful back pass that exposed both Leno and Luiz, and the inevitable triple threat; penalty, red card, suspension. Chelsea fans had it in for David Luiz from the start of the match - I'm really not sure why - and they simply loved it when he got sent off. One for the team and all that, but a goal down, down to 10 men at Stamford Bridge after just 25 minutes should be the death knell for any side, should it not?

But what we saw from then on was really interesting. Sure, Chelsea failed to capitalise by putting their foot on the Arsenal throat, but we saw a combination of things that really got Arsenal fans' pulses racing.

Firstly, it did seem inevitable that Holding would have to come on; for Martinelli or perhaps Ozil. But Xhaka did such a fine job dropping alongside Mustafi that Arteta felt that he could hold off on that change; as he himself explained it, from a mentality point of view it would have looked defeatist, and could have knocked the side even further. In fact, Arsenal possibly looked better with 10 than they had with 11, as they started pushing Chelsea back.

And they rode their luck, as Chelsea missed several presentable chances to extend their lead. And not long after BT Sport's revelation that Arsenal hadn't had a single attempt in the first hour of the game did the equaliser come. Mustafi's powerful headed clearance from a Willian corner cleared the two Chelsea players on the edge of the Arsenal box, and Martinelli was away. He had loads to do, with Kante to deal with on the half way line, but the Frenchman obligingly fell over and left our boy with a clear run on goal. Chased hard by Emerson, Martinelli held him off comfortably and slotted easily past Kepa. Lovely stuff, and cue pandemonium in the Arsenal end.

Remember, this is still a teenager. And for him it wasn't just about the goal. Stats showed that he put up over double the amount of high intensity sprints than any other player on the pitch; helping Saka out, popping up all over the place, and generally making a bloody nuisance of himself. I did say when Auabameyang got suspended that I was looking forward to seeing him step up, and with two goals in two games he has done that; and more!

And then, following Chelsea's retaking of the lead late on (and for me, Abraham was offside and was interfering with play; the Law is an ass in this case), came Hector Bellerin's late equaliser; curled in with his left foot. Wow! Cue further pandemonium, both in the Arsenal end and in my living room!

And so to other notable performances: Xhaka at centre half, Torreira as per usual, Saka and the returning Bellerin all outstanding, and Leno once more made some crucial saves. And props to the coach, too, who believed in his 10 men and stuck with them, and then once more nailed his post-match interview. We've struck gold with Mikel Arteta.

However, as I alluded to in the very first paragraph, there weren't that many Arsenal highlights throughout the 90 minutes. Yes, they worked hard - bloody hard! - but were on the back foot for long periods, and there were heroes amongst them, but... just two attempts on goal in an entire match?

However, whilst results like the draws against Palace and Sheffield United were ultimately disappointing, I sense that this team is capable of building on this result. Let's hope I'm right. 13 points to 4th would have been insurmountable, but after that 10 looks a hell of a lot closer.

FA Cup next. Come On You Gunners!