Arsenal’s
hopes of finishing in the Top 4 were dealt a major blow by their bitter rivals
to the North today as the Spurs kept their slim title hopes alive. While the
Gunners had a few chances throughout the game they again seemed to fold under
the pressure of expectation – and opportunity – falling apart after ceding the
first goal in the 55th minute and failing to register even a
semblance of the resolve that seemed to emerge in the first half of this
disastrous season. Three thoughts on the Spur’s 2-0 victory:
1.
Tottenham confirm change in
power in North
London
In
building a combined starting 11, who would you take from the Arsenal squad?
Sanchez, arguably, but who else? Cech in his prime, maybe Koscielny in a pinch,
certainly not Ozil on current form. Ox at his best, possibly, but it is not
hard to see 10 Spurs and one Gunner filling that list. On top of that, St.
Tottenham day is dead after 22 years, fitting given the fact Arsenal have one
point to show from their two derbies this year and no wins in the last 5, for
the first time in the long history of the rivalry. Tottenham could have lost
this game, fallen back on old habits and let their slim title chances fade
away. Instead they came out from the tunnel after halftime with more verve,
more passion and a greater desire to win. It showed.
Arsenal’s
high press actually seemed to rattle the Spurs early, but they soon grew into
the game and ended up with the best two chances of the first half. A cross from
Kane to Alli, who just missed his header wide, and Erickson, who really should
have scored with the goal gaping, chipping to the bar and over. Arsenal lacked
fluency, with players having trouble catching up to any counterattacks, though Ramsey
had an open shot from the top of the box midway through, sending a typically lame
effort into a crowd, in keeping with his 26 games without a goal. A second
effort was closer, though saved by the outstretched arms of Lloris around the 30-minute
mark. Gibbs had a half chance of his own as the game neared 40 minutes, but he
too fell short. Arsenal were in the ascendancy as halftime approached and Sanchez
didn't miss the far corner by much with a clever chipped shot but Vertonghen
shot to the far corner right before the whistle was just parried out by a
diving Cech, who kept the game from the blowout that it might well have
deserved.
Arsenal
had the rare chance as the second half went on, none better than Giroud a few
yards out from a Sanchez corner he blazed into the crowd, though the Spurs were
again creating the better chances overall. Son found an opening behind Sanchez
on a corner and just missed wide with a blazing effort. In was after 55 minutes
when some average defending by the Gunners allows Tottenham an opening. Erickson
slalomed around two defenders before lashing a shot at the near post that was
well-saved by Cech, but parried directly into the path of a charging Alli, who punched
it into the gaping goal past Chamberlain, who may well have cleared it if he
used his left instead of right foot, or sacrificed his body; something most of
these Gunners rarely do on the defensive end.
Two
minutes later, Kane appeared to dive under mild pressure from Gabriel in the
box but Oliver called what looked like the third dubious penalty of the day and
Kane made it 2-0. Given that the first two benefitted United and City with
arguably undeserved draws, Arsenal might feel slightly aggrieved, though the
truth is they have no one to blame but themselves for a loss that puts the Top
4 almost out of reach. Arsenal carved out a few more chances, including one
Welbeck really should have finished from an Ozil lofted pass on 74 minutes, but
were really battered by the better and more driven side. But for several
excellent saves from Cech, the result would have been much worse.
In
the end, the gulf in class between the sides was clear and showed how far Arsenal
have fallen from their position near the top of the league as the dial turned
on 2016 and from the second-place finish last season. The Gunners are lost at
the very moment the Spurs might finally be finding themselves as a team that
can challenge for major honors in the future. Arsenal could well beat them to
silverware this season in the final of the FA Cup, but it is clear which side
is moving in the right direction.
2. Winning mentality Deserts Arsenal Again/How can Wenger Stay?
Ramsey
was awful, Ozil uninspired, Giroud starved of service and even Sanchez again
below his best. The defense played valiantly for the first hour and then
collapsed as they have done so many times in recent months. Who would you keep
on this team? Sanchez, who looks likely to leave, of course. Koscielny and
Gabriel, who has played better in recent weeks, even with the tap that led to a
penalty. Xhaka, who can work on his maturity moving forward. But who else?
Giroud lacks the pace necessary for a complete forward in the league, particularly
one playing for Arsenal. Welbeck will stay and contribute, but lacks the
finishing touch necessary to be a regular starter through the middle. Ramsey
has had one great season in his many years with the club and that one was cut
short by injury, an issue throughout his tenure. Walcott seems unable to
develop beyond his current skill set, even if his finishing has improved. And
one could go down the list and find few players that inspire full confidence
beyond Ox, Sanchez, Koscielny, Monreal and the oft-injured Cazorla. Even
Bellerin has been far below his best in this losing spell.
The
question is whether another year or two of Wenger can really right the ship he
has put on this wayward path. The desperation that led him to abandon his 4-4-3
for 3 at the back did pay dividends for three short games, but showed a side
that lacks the attacking nous that have defined the Gunners throughout Wenger’s
twenty plus years with the side. Rarely has the team seemed so lost, the
seemingly positive progress over the last few seasons suddenly replaced by the
reality that the Top 4, Wenger’s perennial “trophy” might finally be beyond
their reach. Arsenal have conceded less goals in the new formation, though only
one clean sheet, and were lucky to keep it to two today. More troubling is the
tendency to surrender at the first sign of trouble and their continued
struggles against the rest of the Top 7. Since their comprehensive 3-0 victory
over the presumptive champions way back in September, Arsenal have managed
draws against Tottenham and United, losses to City and Everton, a reverse loss
to Chelsea and Liverpool, a draw with City and now the loss to Tottenham today.
Even
worse is their away form and the losses that are likely to dispossess them of
the one excuse for keeping Wenger around these past few years – that coveted
Top 4 finish and Champions League place it confers. Arsenal have lost to
Crystal Palace, West Brom and Watford since the turn of the year, on top of the
3-3 draw with Bournemouth and destruction at the hands of Bayern. Sure, they
can win the FA Cup to garner something out of a lost season, but where would
they go from there? What will the cost be of Thursday night football in the
lowly Europa League? Who can they sign under the circumstances? And who will
really want to jump on to this sinking ship, but those looking for a nice
paycheck without overly ambition expectations?
Arsenal
are lost in a way that seems hard to believe one year removed from a real shot
at the title, but maybe in keeping with their struggles over the past near
decade. Wenger was tight with the purse strings for too long, even with the
move to the Emirates, and can look around the league at all the players they
failed to secure who are now thriving at rivals, or even with teams below them.
Who can we blame in the end but the manager, a man who has outstayed his
welcome but still seems unwilling to read the writing on the skyline above his
fading legacy.
3. Tottenham Keep Slim Title Hopes Alive
Spurs
will rue early season slow start and injuries that hurt them in key periods. Yet
it is hard to ignore the numbers, even if Chelsea holds on to the title. They
have already accrued seven points more than last season (77 at present) and can
reach 89 if they win their last four very winnable games. That total would have
won the league in every season since United reached 90 in 2008-09 and would mean
13 straight wins, building on the 9 on the spin they have currently managed. On
top of that, they are 17 points above the rivals who have finished above them
the past 22 seasons, even as they were above them in the run-in several times
over the past 6 seasons.
Tottenham
are young and hungry with one of the best strikers (Kane) and attacking
midfielders (Alli) in European football, together with a solid spine from front
to back including a Top 10 keeper (in Lloris), two of the most consistently
stout central defenders in the league, players who are improving year over year
(Erickson, Dembele, Davies, Son) and even some quality options off the bench.
In
this game, they created 20 goal scoring chances, 11 of those hitting the
target. Their two stars came through with crucial goals, even if Kane’s penalty
seemed quite soft on second viewing. And the ever-improving Erickson again
contributed to the cause, along with everyone across the pitch. Arsenal were
pushed back soon after kickoff and thus unable to build any consistent pathway
from back to front, with Tottenham often clogging the midfield quite
effectively, while also using the press strategically to pin back the Gunners
at key moments of the game. They dominated possession in the first half and,
even as Arsenal pushed to get back in the game for the final 30 minutes, still pipped
the final statistics 51 to 49, while outshooting the Gunners 20 to 12 (and 11
to 4) and gaining 14 corners to Arsenal’s pittance of 5. They did all this
while committing only 7 fouls, to Arsenal’s 15. It was a comprehensive victory in
the end and showed how far this side has come from even a season ago, when a
late collapse pushed them from the whisker’s edge of a title all the way down
to third place.
The
major concern for Tottenham moving forward is to push their wage structure to
be competitive with other top sides (they pay well below the odds of most of
the Top 10), to finally break the trophy drought that has seen them win only
three honors since the 90s (the FA Cup in 1991 and the League Cup in 1999 and
2008) and to keep their young stars for the foreseeable future. It is also
imperative to keep Pochettino as long as possible and to find another manager
of similar pedigree when he does finally leave. Who can doubt that a trophy,
and maybe even the league, lie just around the corner? Even this cold-blooded
Gooner is starting to believe …
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