Sweet Sweet Arsenal Make The Toffees Come Unstuck

Arsenal got to play their first match since the transfer window closed yesterday and what a difference four days make. After an abject performance saw us lose 3-1 at struggling Swansea on Tuesday night it was back to the Emirates where we have been very good this season. We had new boys Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to show off to the home fans and both of them showed us why things might just be about to improve for Arsenal.

I was at the last home league game against Crystal Palace a couple of weeks ago when we went 4-0 up after 22 minutes and it was almost a case of deja vu yesterday. The big difference for me was I thought we played an awful lot better yesterday with pace and movement particularly prevalent in the attacking third. We looked like a team who knew what we were doing as we set about Everton from almost the first minute and it was a joy to watch.

The defensive issues haven’t gone away and we are still far too easy to take apart on the break, but we have an awful lot more to offer in attack with those two in the team. I was worried how Arsene Wenger would accommodate both of them in the team, but I shouldn’t have worried as they slotted in as if they had been at the club a long time. To me the attitude of the players seemed so much better and that’s something we need in abundance for the rest of the season.

Their inclusions meant Alexandre Lacazette had to drop to the bench and he could find himself on that bench for a while to come. Aubameyang offered us the pace on the break that we have being missing for a very long time and it was a joy to watch him in full flight. With players like Mesut Ozil and Mkhitaryan to pick him out with passes we have a very potent weapon on the break and against teams who play a high line.

Our next game is against Spurs at Wembley next Saturday and it’s a game we really need to win. Spurs are very fond of playing a high line and the game could just be set up for Aubameyang to do his thing. If that thing is going to influence the outcome of the game we will have to do so much else right and that’s what my worry is. 

I know how good our record at Wembley has been in recent seasons and Spurs have struggled at times in their home games there this season. If we can get our game right the wide open spaces will suit our attacking players, but of course they will expose our defence too. Our chances of a top four finish are very slim at this stage and a defeat next week would surely end them, but I have the feeling the new found sense of optimism at and about the club could be just what we need.

As for the win over Everton yesterday I wish we could play them every week after putting 10 goals past them in two games this season and it could have been a lot more too. Sam Allardyce didn’t help himself with his comments before the game and he should have been aware of our home record before making statements about how bad our defence was and how we weren’t scoring as many goals as last season. He might well have been right, but an Everton team with one away win and eight away goals was always going to struggle against the team with the second best home record in the league.

It’s always nice to put one over on him and it felt a little like the good old days at times yesterday. If we can add the right players to what we already have and bring the likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles through then things could certainly improve an awful lot next season. I know yesterday was only one home win and our away performances are probably a better pointer to the strength and character of the team, but it’s hard to feel anything but optimism after that display and result.

Between now and Saturday’s trip to Wembley our players can work on everything they need to work on while Spurs have an FA Cup replay with Newport on Wednesday night. They have the opportunity to rest players in that game, but it’s their only chance of a trophy this season and they really need to win a trophy. They haven’t won a major trophy since 1991 and no matter how good the media might tell us they are their trophy cabinet remains empty. 

Even this season where we are having what looks like our worst season ever under Wenger we are stlll only four points behind them and through to a Cup Final too. The Carabao Cup isn’t really a major trophy any more, but I have no doubt every single Spurs player and fan would love to be in that final instead of us. The game on Saturday looks like it could be our biggest game of the season so far and I just hope the coaching staff can get everything spot on in the next week to give us every chance of winning and turning what’s left of our season around.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.