Match report – Player ratings – By the numbers – Video
While I’ve always said form and quality are factors which fade in a North London derby, there’s no doubt we dropped two points yesterday against a pretty average Sp*rs side. Sure, we showed once again that going behind isn’t the end of it (I think that’s the fourth time we’ve done it this season and not lost), but that’s a habit we need to get out of, rapidly, rather than a trait to be applauded.
After beating Villa so convincingly last weekend with Mesut Ozil deployed centrally, we reverted to the system where the German began on the left. Not only that, our £30m signing from Barcelona, a man with four goals already this season and with just the kind of attitude for a game like this, was left on the bench. Quite why, I don’t know. I’m sure the manager has his reasons but I can’t make sense of them.
That said, we didn’t look uncomfortable, just not as fluid as we did at Villa Park. Hugo Lloris was the busier of the two goalkeepers but nothing we created was exactly clear cut. Indeed, the two most significant moments of the half were the injuries we picked up. A calf strain for Arteta which saw him replaced by Mathieu Flamini and a twanged hamstring for Aaron Ramsey which saw Santi Cazorla enter the fray right at the end of the first period.
Before the game Arsene Wenger said Aaron Ramsey had gone ‘back to basics’ after some indifferent form this season, but in truth he was a bit more like the Ramsey people worried about than the one who became such a key player in this team. A careless back-heel in our own half allowed Sp*rs to build some pressure, win a couple of corners and almost force a Mertesacker own goal.
In no way is the injury a blessing in disguise or any nonsense like that – especially with the games we’ve got coming up this week – but hopefully he’ll take the time to reflect on his game because when he actually goes back to basics we’re a better team.
With Cazorla on the left and Ozil central, we looked a lot more threatening and dangerous in the opening part of the second half. The Spaniard creates danger in the final third, gives us a spark, and we had them on the back foot. Kaboul had to make clearances as we came down our left; Wilshere beautifully played in Ozil whose shot was saved; Flamini shot wide as a corner rebounded to him; and we looked much more the team that would take the lead.
Which is exactly why it was no surprise when they did. I’ve seen some blame attributed to Szczesny for rolling the ball out too quickly, hence putting us under pressure, but for me it’s down to Flamini. We all know we like to work it out from the back, that’s just how we play, but his touch was clumsy, he wasn’t aware of the man coming to put him under pressure and that said man, Christian Eriksen, hardly the biggest, strongest guy on the pitch, barged him off the ball doesn’t reflect well on the Frenchman. They worked it to Chadli, who scored, against the run of play, for sure, but not against the run of this Arsenal team overall.
Our last throw of the dice was Alexis for Jack Wilshere, who hadn’t looked 100% since he picked up an ankle injury in the first half, and the Chilean came on with a good half an hour to go. The response was good, you have to say. Per almost equalised with a thumping header that required a brilliant save from Lloris (definitely their man of the match), Calum Chambers fizzed a volley just over the bar from 30 yards, and we forced a series of corners to pin them back.
The goal came from our left: Alexis fed Cazorla on the edge of the box, his shot was scuffed somewhat but it was deflected across goal, Welbeck provided the dummy, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was there to stick the ball in the roof of the new from close range. A goal we definitely deserved but now we had to go on and get another.
Afterwards, Arsene Wenger complained about their tactics, time-wasting, fouls and so on, but that’s something we have to deal with ourselves. I didn’t think they were especially time-wasty, but committing lots of fouls to break up any rhythm we might have had, and making substitutes to do likewise, was what you’d expect any team happy with a point to do. They had no intention of trying to win the game, they just didn’t want to lose.
And that’s fine. There’s no point us complaining about it as if that’s what dictated the result. We had plenty of the ball but just couldn’t do enough with it. We didn’t create another chance worthy of mention from the time we scored until the final whistle, and that’s our problem, not theirs for being unambitious and a bit cynical.
Afterwards, the manager said:
I think, if you look at the shots on goal Tottenham had and the amount of time they had the ball, they can say they have got a great result today. It’s the kind of game that you win if you don’t give a goal away.
And if my auntie had balls, etc etc. This giving a goal away against the run of play thing isn’t new. It’s a flaw in this team and one, if it’s not addressed and ironed out, will continue to frustrate, aggravate and put paid to any ambitions we might have for this season. They were there for the taking yesterday – more than any team they’ve put out in the last few seasons – and we played our part in ensuring they got something from the game.
I think we paid the price for the team selection and the set-up. If we’d gone for them with Alexis (or even Cazorla) in the side from the start, Ozil centrally to continue the progress made last weekend between himself and Welbeck, we’d have beaten them – even with our tendency for self-destruction. These feel like two points, in the shape of a giant anvil, dropped right onto our toes.
It wasn’t all bad though. Oxlade-Chamberlain was impressive, his energy and desire to make things happen was a bright spot for sure, and he deserved his goal. And I thought Calum Chambers at right back was fantastic. While you can’t help be a bit concerned about the amount of bookings he gets, I kinda liked the one he got yesterday. It was cynical, he knew exactly what he was doing – and what he was doing was ensure they couldn’t break when we had men pushed high up the pitch.
But overall, a disappointing derby day. That was a game we should have won. We now have Champions League action in midweek and a trip to Chelsea next Sunday. We’ll have to play both of those games without Arteta and Ramsey, at least, while there’ll be worries over Jack after his ankle turn. Good job that midfield, at least, is where we have some depth.
Till tomorrow.
