Well, it's taken me a while... but we've been in Interlull mode so I felt I had time - to revisit the Spurs match (please don't make me watch their goals again!), but I've got there in the end. Here's what I've taken from it:
1. Arsenal's forward line has the potential to be as potent as Liverpool's and Manchester City's. This is very exciting as we look forward to the rest of the season.
2. Emery needs to make some important decisions as to the make up of his midfield. Selecting three midfielders of limited range on the offensive side of the game stifled creativity, but did not add any noticable solidity to the defensive side of the game as these players pushed forward into what to them were slightly unnatural positions. Time and again Arsenal were cut open on the break, and 2-0 could easily have been more until Arsenal finally took a measure of control. There are two aspects to this:
Firstly, we immediately saw the difference when Ceballos came on (for all that he had looked shell-shocked against Liverpool - but they are an exceptional side the likes of whom Arsenal will not meet too often this season) and one should hope that two shielding midfielders would be enough against any opposition.
But which two? Well, I think that after the clumsiest and most stupid of fouls on Son, that this graphic says everything we need to know:
But what do we know? He is one of the Manager's most trusted players,as he was Wenger's. Arsenal's midfield liability... which it was easy to contrast against Guendouzi's Man of the Match performance.
3. To my eyes, there was a massive contrast in how the two teams went about their business. Tottenham looked better organised and better coached but, by sheer will and effort, a more freestyle Arsenal fought their way back into the game and could easily have won it. I appreciate that Spurs are a more settled side and that Arsenal needs to bed its new players in, but it will be interesting to see if Emery looks to develop a single defined style of play or whether he continues to adapt his side to the opposition for every single game.
Actually, this would be anathema to me. How can Arsenal impose themselves if the main focus is on stopping the opposition? That has to take away from what his players can do. I want to see structure and tactics, but this would be the exact opposite of what the previous Manager did (i.e take little or no notice of one's opponents). A middle road, please.
Anyway, a point is better than what we might have expected at 5.11pm that afternoon. And it's worth bearing in mind additionally that the Arsenal defence is going to be vastly different personnel-wise by the beginning of November than it looks like now. But it's the midfield that's the main conundrum.
However, Arsenal now go into a stretch of extremely winnable games for a few weeks (and I'm even including Manchester United away in that). Starting on Sunday at Watford.
What is it about other Premier League teams that they all seem to leave it until the week before they're due to play Arsenal to sack their Manager, leaving us open to the 'bounce factor'? Is it me, or does it happen to Arsenal more than any other side? Anyway, they've got off to a wretched start this season (which is why the trigger-happy Pozzos have done the deed to Gracia) but it's always a difficult game there. A fortunate win last season in the middle of that wretched season-ending debacle, and an embarrassing late defeat the season before. Still, Troy Deeney and his massive cojones have had a poor time of it against Arsenal since he opened his big mouth three years ago, and that really ought to continue. Watford away is the sort of game Arsenal should expect to win if they want to ensure that they push for a Top Four spot.
And finally, a word on Harry Kane. Is there anyone who doesn't think that he's a serial diver? And that he gets away with it a bit more than he should in the same way that Alan Shearer got away with trying to kick Neil Lennon's head into the stands all those years ago. Anyway, now that matters have started to get highlighted a bit more, hopefully that will work against him and his club. And whilst I'll always support him while he's wearing an England shirt, I really did enjoy him missing that penalty on Wednesday evening. Bad David!
Until next Monday.
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