Hard to take. Johnny had it right on the post-match podcast.
“You win some. You draw some.”
The main focus of hopium here for me is that we lost that game last season. No doubt.
There were a number of shocks to the system yesterday.
We actually conceded goals – a real ‘holy shit, these things happen to us’ kind of day.
We were quite confused and the team didn’t really enjoy it like they did.
We left the match without three points, something that hasn’t bothered us for a while.
Sunderland was without a doubt really impressive. The biggest compliment I can give them is that it felt like I was playing against a really good Brentford team. They completely believed in the plan, the crowd was wildly loud and the heart they showed was probably quite inspiring if you were neutral.
Arsenal started slowly. We tried to feel our way into the match as we normally do, but we were dealt a blow in a moment of chaotic madness in which ex-Academy centre-back Daniel Ballard picked up a loose ball and smashed it into Raya’s near post, as Kevin Phillips would have done in his heyday. There were moments in the build-up to that goal where we could have done better, but sometimes you just have to hand it over to a team: it was a well-worked goal.
Arsenal couldn’t find a rhythm in the match. Our passing was leggy in the Champions League, we missed Gyökere’s menacing defenders, and our creators were rather anonymous. It really felt like we were going to have one of those days – hard to see how we were going to extricate ourselves from the seizure coma we were in.
But to my surprise, Arsenal came out with a different team in the second half. They put Sunderland on the back foot, moved the ball with pace, took more risks and got Saka to do Saka things after Declan zipped the ball from Le Fée and passed it to Eze, who moved the ball to Merino, who cushioned a ball into Saka. He took what looked like an awkward touch and moved the ball to his right foot, where he fired an unexpected strike at the near post. It was a difficult finish, executed at a world-class level.
Arsenal really discovered holes everywhere. Zubimendi hit the crossbar among a number of near misses. You felt that something was brewing – and it was. Trossard, who had a very strong second half, came in from the left, looked for a pass that didn’t arrive, shuffled in and ripped a monstrous thunderbolt into the top corner.
It felt like a winner, but it wasn’t. Sunderland went all out for the point and freshened up the attack with more power and pace. Arteta has chosen to end the match with Mosquera, which in my opinion is often a sign of concern and confidence in the other team.
It did. In the 93rd minute a ball was looped into the Arsenal box. Ballard, playing the FALSE BIG LAD, nodded speculatively toward our target. Brobby followed him, Big Gabi couldn’t beat him with the ball, Raya lost his head and flew at the ball, and somehow the ex-Ajax striker threw a leg at it and scored. A terrible way to end the game.
On the other hand, there was still time for Arsenal. Calafiori had a free header from four yards out, it hit the keeper and the second ball looked good for Merino but Ballard got a foot on the striker.
It just wasn’t going to be our day – a point shared. Sometimes it is like that.
Not much bleeding needs to be done here. Arteta chose to leave the game out, and we are normally very good at that. Arsenal dropped two points in a match where they scored two goals. That won’t happen often. Sunderland scored two goals from two shots on target after creating 0.45 xG. Sometimes that happens, but not often.
I would have liked to see Arteta throw Dowman or Nwaneri into the mixer. I understand that people think they were not in control and could have made a mistake, but they could also have presented a threat and an unknown. Maybe Ballard won’t be at the front if he knows a lightning-fast Dowman is lurking. Sunderland took all the risks and they paid off. I understand we are the best in the world at knocking teams out, but Mosquera pumped up the crowd, it motivated Sunderland, and the rest is history. Sometimes a little daring wouldn’t go amiss.
In terms of performance, Eze really didn’t perform for us. I know he’s learning on the job, but I was kind of hoping he’d show us one of those “wow, it’s him” performances, and it hasn’t landed yet. Flashes of brilliance, for sure. But a sustained 90 minutes of WOW? I have yet to see it.
The same goes for Bukayo Saka. He should be fit now, but he doesn’t look good. Yes, I know he scored a goal, but you know what I mean: he doesn’t look unstoppable right now. It’s a bit leggy for me. Salah slipped last season. Saka hasn’t been that player for a while now. So while he delivered a piece of world-class magic, I’m a little concerned about the fitness levels.
Zubi was given the full Sunderland treatment in the first half. They realized that if they choked him out of the game we would struggle, and they were right. The player who came out for the second half was much better. Combined with some of Declan’s athletic shift work, it was a much better spectacle: fast passing, aggressive finishing and a relentless work ethic. Declan took a punch from 60 yards at the end – obviously taking Matt’s Beckham comparison to heart.
Can we all hold something? Granit Xhaka: officially dead to me. Let us not hold a vigil for him when he comes to the Emirates. I swear at him more than I did at the Palace match. Who is with me?
Jamie Carragher wrote 1000 words ahead of Sunderland in which he argued that standards in the Premier League have fallen as teams score from set-pieces. It was an incredible piece. He said things haven’t been the same since City set the tone for football standards against Liverpool in 18/19 – lots of passing, false 9 nonsense and 12 shots on target. He made no comment on the dull draw three months earlier, which saw two shots on target each. But my opinion on this kind of comment is that it is an aesthetic comment. The standards in the Premier League are much higher than they were seven years ago. The competition is richer, teams are smarter, fitter and better managed.
Look no further than Sunderland. They did a total restart there. They have a 27-year-old owner, they have great players, a great coach, and the football has been incredible considering the form we were in. The truth of the Premier League in 2025 is that every team has at least six very, very good players – and you will get a blow if you are not good at your game.
Does it feel like lost points? Yes. Can we regret it? Maybe. But all top teams will play such matches away from home this season. The Premier League is difficult, momentum is difficult to maintain and you are always two games away from a crisis.
City vs Liverpool tomorrow should be a draw, but I’d also take Pep G bringing Liverpool down and burying their title hopes. If Liverpool lose I think their season is over. The manager will be questioned, heads will drop and other teams will smell the stinking comrade in the water. The annoying thing is that both teams make fairly easy runs after the break compared to Arsenal. So the two extra points would have been nice.
But we just have to keep believing in what our eyes are telling us.
We are VERY good.
I still think we are the best team in the league and I really believe this is going to be our season.
We must also remember: Liverpool and City would be mad if they had the attacking injuries that we are dealing with. The names will return after the break, but I’m afraid it won’t happen right away. Jesus, Kai, Noni, Gabi Martinelli, Gyökeres and Ødegaard will all return for the Brentford game. The worry is how we will deal with Spurs, Bayern and Chelsea, because we will be light. Gyökeres will not start against Spurs, and neither will the rest; they will all need easing. So my concern is that we have to play three very good teams and rely on Mikel Merino as our nine again.
Not a nice thought. Not fun at all.
So, big takeaway: something is happening. Keep your chin up. If I had offered you three wins and a draw from this stage of the season, plus wins in all your cup games, you would have gnawed on my arm like it was a bag of petrol from the garage. We are not chasing, we do not look weak, we are at the top in a time of injury crisis, and there is still so much to get from this team.
Okay, get ready for a big hatewatch this afternoon! Also take a look On The Whistle And Johnny’s Reviews.
#WIN #DRAW