I’ve had an incredibly bad week, so I’ve been on the struggle bus when it comes to getting the content out! Listen to me on this… I’ll be better this week. I promise.
So here we are, after the Brentford game, all a bit nervous… because my word: that wasn’t really what we were hoping for, although it was what I expected. I wrote that the players would probably have taken that unexpected City win on their shoulders… and I felt that this would probably weigh heavily on the players against Brentford.
Unfortunately, this assumption was very money-driven. That game played out the way it did for no other reason than nerves and faith. Our passing was fraught with fear, players were hiding all over the pitch and we let the fear of a stalking horse dent the way we played.
But… if you show up like this, the move is not to lose. We didn’t lose. We are still in control of this title race and it is mid-February. If you really didn’t believe the race would get tougher, then I’m sorry, life must be tough right now. For the rest of us, who knew Arsenal would make this tough until the end, we need to buckle up and hope for better days.
In my humble opinion, better days will come if some of our big names decide to appear from now until the end of the season.
It’s rare that the superstars of a Premier League season aren’t the attacking players, but at the moment I’m struggling to pick a name I’d have in the top five so far this season. Our creators don’t create, our attackers are not fit for purpose in terms of talent or availability. Our wingers blow hot and cold. Incredibly, the real star of the season so far is a system that can shore up an offense that has been so disappointing for most of the season.
- Bukayo… delivers an average output.
Martinelli… is having his best season, but is still disappointing in the league.
Madueke… nice goal against Brentford, but his output this season is “Chelsea are going to loan me to Strasbourg”.
Trossard… probably our best striker, and we thought he would leave last summer.
We’re in such a bad spot, I’m watching Viktor Gyökeres put in a 6 out of 10 performance, and it’s literally like silk on my eyes. I’ll punch the air if he doesn’t get completely monstered every time. He gave back instead of fighting and just being torn apart. He had 29 touches – huge for him – made 8 successful passes, two of which were forward (1 chance created), and delivered zero shots for the sixth time… it’s not good enough. It really isn’t. But in a match like this, where everyone else was so bad, it stood out. This isn’t where you want to be at this stage of the season, MoTM celebrations for a striker who didn’t have a chance.
The sad reality is that our biggest disappointment of the season is not him by a long shot. No way. Eberechi Eze, the man we all thought was a spectacular signing that we don’t normally make, has had less and less impact in each game. He hasn’t recovered from the Matty Cash shaming that happened in December. The man looks lost, afraid of making a mistake and, most importantly, afraid of being himself on the field. How can a £68 million maker offer zero chances in a crucial game when you’re on your way to a title? Gyokeres doesn’t have Eze’s abilities, but at least he comes into every match fresh and never shies away from the fight, even if he loses 80% of the time. That’s the spirit you need in a title push and there wasn’t enough of that on display against Brentford.
That said, we’re still at the top, the boys are still the best team in the league and they have all the tools they need to get this back on track.
Saka needs to get fit again and take charge of the club; That’s not an unreasonable ask from our highest-paid player. He gets the big money because he is without a doubt our best player. Time to deliver and increase average grades.
Martin Ødegaard took the field and reminded us all that he is a master when he can endure a match and when he is fit. No ifs or buts; when he turns it on, we’re in great shape. We need him to stay fit, get back to work in matches and speed up the game. Where is the creativity from three years ago? Let’s hope he can find it.
Pep Guardiola said last week that if players want to be fit, they want to be fit. I’m not a world-class manager, so I don’t know if that’s true. But I find it rather annoying that our players are dropping like flies again in a crunch moment… because it doesn’t happen to City or Liverpool when they are in the mood.
Arsenal cannot let this moment pass them by. Man City are no longer the bogeyman they once were; they have a manager on the way, and they are not reliable. The only advantage they have is that they can spend £100 million on two world-class Premier League players – and both deliver results. But we have the talent to do the same. No excuses. We have to turn on the power and make it happen.
I still believe we are running this competition. Wigan should be a who’s who with the double-barreled surname Hale-Enders, then we get behind the wheel and beat up Wolves, Spurs and then Chelsea.
BIG MONTH. See you in the comments. Great love. X
PS I messed up the LIVE for On The Whistle so I didn’t make the therapy session members until this week.
#NERVES #JELLY