A turnaround as well as a comeback. This fate may have seen Arsenal almost eliminated of the two national cups may have further revitalized their title challenge. The worst week of Mikel Arteta‘s season has ended so far with the best possible result, namely a home victory against Tottenham Hotspur.
It was certainly half a Tottenham Hotspur, considering the injuries that Ange Postecoglou suffered could even make Arteta sympathize. The Spaniard won’t really mind, given that 2-1 comeback saw Liverpool’s lead cut to just four points, albeit with a game more played.
Arteta reaffirmed his belief, which has certainly never wavered, that this title race is far from over. “There is so much to play for and we can see how difficult it is for every team to win.”
That’s certainly true for Spurs, as that derby defeat made it one win in nine in the Premier League. They are now 13th and just eight points above the relegation zone, which could be 14th on Thursday night.
“That’s not who we are,” Postecoglou said. He could certainly say that about the roster, since it’s almost the last man – or rather last boys – standing, amid so many injuries.
It was the first north London derby in 18 years featuring an 18-year-old, and there were three of them. Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and especially Myles Lewis-Skelly were still among the best players on the pitch.
Postecoglou was still unwilling to point out the positives, saying: “I want them to be disappointed. Losing so many games in a championship season is not acceptable.
He added that “this has to stop,” but it’s hard to see how. He basically needs more body, experience and energy. “There is no magic formula,” Postecoglou added.
Arteta knows this, as his own beleaguered team has had to fight its way through this period. This is why we cannot doubt Arsenal’s victory too much. There were potential complications here other than opposition.
The team has been surrounded by doubts, especially after the manner of those cup defeats against Newcastle and Manchester United. Combined with injuries, this is the worst period Arteta has had since his first two difficult seasons in the role. Things could have changed. Léandro Trossard instead, he rediscovered his goalscoring touch, even if Arsenal still don’t quite have theirs. The need for a striker, especially after a hugely disappointing performance from Raheem Sterling, is great.
“We should have put the game to bed a lot earlier,” Arteta admitted. “We had to suffer. We would have liked the extra goal.
There’s suddenly a broader perspective here, especially now that elimination from the FA Cup means at least two more weeks of respite. If they can combine that with a top eight finish in the Champions League as well as a signing, they might even look refreshed for the run. Bukayo Saka could return at exactly the right time.
That’s if they can get away with it. Saturday’s double – Liverpool at Brentford, Arsenal hosting Aston Villa – could be a pivotal week in the title race.
They set the tone here, with some resilience out of frustration, in the midst of an entertaining and chaotic game. They came out in the best way possible and it wasn’t just because of the way they attacked. Given the difficulties and discussions of the past week, it would have been easy for a club that can be surrounded by emotional turmoil to wallow in self-pity. Arteta’s general attitude in such circumstances has been to exude a sense of positivity, which can sometimes seem absurd to those on the outside. But that’s kind of the problem. The idea is to give those inside tunnel vision. So it was that after a week where Arsenal created so many chances and couldn’t score, they simply went out and created more.
The first 20 minutes were intense, where Arteta’s side could easily have scored three.
The Spurs initially resisted the siege superbly, with Antonin Kinsky standing – and jumping – hard in the corners in a way that many other goalkeepers struggled with.
The onslaught and inexperience made it all the more impressive that the Spurs pulled through and moved forward. Some experience showed when one of the senior professionals in the match, Son Heung Min, diverted a ball towards goal and headed past David Raya via a deflection.
Again, it would have been easy for Arsenal to wallow in self-pity. There was even a warning about how Spurs I did exactly that at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup last week.
Arsenal pressed on once again. Spurs would rightly say that Arsenal also had a big decision to make, although Postecoglou admirably refused to go after the match. The 40th-minute corner that led to the equalizer should not have been a corner and it completed a crucial change of momentum.
Kinsky’s initial confidence had been affected by blocking a pass, and it seemed to gradually erode his game. By the time Rice hit that corner, the goalkeeper was flapping his wings. Gabriel was there at the far post to force Dominic Solanke into an own goal.
Spurs had clearly been affected. It took Arsenal just four more minutes to punish unnecessary errors. Trossard was put through on goal, only to shoot the ball past an overly relaxed Radu Dragusin and into the hands of Kinsky.
However, in the face of this kind of imprecision, Martin Odegaard’s precision deserves to be praised. Even though the Spurs half had only just opened up, the playmaker placed exactly the right ball for Trossard. It’s the kind of touch that Arsenal have been lacking of late. It also reflects what was arguably Odegaard’s best performance since returning from injury.
While the first half evolved in unexpected ways, the second half played in many familiar patterns.
Postecoglou dismissed his recent caution and made two extremely attacking half-time substitutions with the introduction of Brennan Johnson and James Maddison. It just meant more chances for Arsenal and more misses. The lack of a finisher became even more evident.
It almost reached the level of parody when Trossard, who had only just remembered his goal touch in the first half, completely missed the ball for a brilliant chance in the second half. It went like this: so many moments where an opportunity inexplicably spilled over.
It still ended with the most familiar element of all: an Arsenal victory at home in the north London derby. This will strengthen the belief of also winning the title, for the first time in a long time. So much so that Arteta was ready to say it outright. The race is on.
