Arsène Wenger had hardly returned home, basking in the glow of a robust performance with ten men away to Tottenham Hotspur, than the Arsenal fans were back in meltdown. Leicester City’s win away to Watford on Saturday evening meant that third-placed Arsenal were eight points off the pace and the “Wenger Out” versus “In Arsène We Trust” battle lines were drawn again.
This is classic Arsenal in the tailend of the Wenger era, a door opening, then slamming in their faces. Until Riyad Mahrez, the type of player Wenger used to source from France, scored for Leicester, it had been a good day for the Arsenal manager.
Wenger believed that a gutsy, sharp display in a tumultuous derby could provide the spark that Arsenal need. “Yes, I think it can be, yes,” he said. “Because we come out of the game feeling that we have a committed performance and why not continue like that? I think the group is healthy because of the good mentality.”
Per Mertesacker, his captain, reflected wryly on recent widespread debate about the side’s paucity of resolve. “For a team with low confidence and no belief, we played pretty well,’’ the Arsenal centre back said. “I have never played in such a demanding game physically. We have shown great character.
“We treat each other like we want to win something, so you get a lot of stick if you don’t perform, especially in training. We criticise each other enough in the dressing room and we demand a lot more from ourselves than just going somewhere and playing like we do not care. We showed up [away to Spurs] and everybody noticed that we care.”
Advertisement
Wenger’s record
They should do it more often then. They cowered against Manchester United and succumbed to Swansea City. Arsenal have given themselves little leeway if they are to hunt down Spurs and Leicester. The players’ attitude was right at White Hart Lane and wrong elsewhere. Wenger must accept a substantial share of culpability because he bought the players and he sets the mood.
Just as he deserves praise for Saturday, so Wenger merits censure for Arsenal underperforming at other points during a campaign when the title looked theirs for the taking given problems at Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. Arsenal may have defeated Leicester home and away but Leicester have been more consistent over the marathon.
Mahrez’s pacesetters may hit the wall, of course, and Arsenal could still do the Double in one of the scattiest, most compelling and unpredictable seasons in living memory. Yet a couple of hours spent yesterday with Danny Simpson, the Leicester right back, left this observer in no doubt about the determined nature of Mahrez and the unlikely lads.
They are dealing with the pressure well, constantly messaging each other in the evening and on days off, geeing each other up, and thriving on being treated as adults by Claudio Ranieri. Each Leicester player has a personal or professional cause, ranging from rejection by another club to desire to make their families proud or an eye on a money-spinning move, driving them towards what would be the greatest moment of their careers. Arsenal are hoping for a collapse that may not come.
Arsenal fans have their calculators, calendars and lucky charms out. Their remaining Premier League itinerary brings home games against West Bromwich Albion, Watford, Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Aston Villa that could yield 13 points. The away tests are Everton, West Ham United, Sunderland and Manchester City. Depending on Alexis Sánchez’s continued return to form, those four could possibly deliver only seven points. That would leave Arsenal on 72 points. Leicester would need only 13 points from their remaining nine games to surpass that.
Advertisement
Arsenal supporters endure anguish over the possibility of Spurs winning the league, but their rivals have a brilliant head coach in Mauricio Pochettino and a team packed with emerging talent. It is Leicester’s presence at the pinnacle that shames Wenger. They have spent a pittance on fees and wages in comparison.
It is why Saturday was ultimately a day of frustration for Arsenal followers. It showed what they could achieve. Wenger outwitted Pochettino. They lined up in a more narrow formation, worked with Aaron Ramsey tucking in, congesting the centre, and opening the scoring with a clever flick. Starting two defensive midfielders unsettled Spurs. Wenger was rightly keen to “highlight an encouraging performance from a first Premier League start” from Mohamed Elneny.
“We turned up very aggressively, especially in midfield,’’ Mertesacker said. “We always looked ready for the fight and always incisive,’’ Wenger said. This incisiveness partly stemmed from playing on the counter with Danny Welbeck unflagging in working the channels. “I like him in there because he is a combination of pace and [physical] stature,’’ Wenger said. “So when Danny is determined and really goes for it, he has all the attributes to play up there.
“He has worked very hard. I have seen every day the effort he has put in. Someone is telling me always ‘in the Premier League he cannot play the whole game’ but I have seen what he has done in training and I got a lot of encouragement from that. Medically, they have questioned his knee, so they are still a bit worried, but he looks perfect.”
Arsenal could easily have won but individual errors cost them. Francis Coquelin later apologised for his moment of folly, diving in on Harry Kane after being booked for handling. Spurs now enjoyed more space. Toby Alderweireld equalised from close range before Kane’s glorious curling long-ranger made it 2-1. Arsenal refused to go quietly, deservedly claiming a point through Sánchez.
Ratings
Advertisement
Afterwards, Wenger called on referees to explain decisions. Michael Oliver rightly dismissed the naive Coquelin but overlooked Eric Dier’s tug on Olivier Giroud. Héctor Bellerín, already booked for fouling Kane, should have followed Coquelin for pulling Érik Lamela back and also fouling Dele Alli. The remit of the planned video technology trials may not go far enough.
The Arsenal manager’s idea of referees having to justify themselves could turn press conferences into bear pits, undermining officials, but they could clarify decisions, or the absence of them, via television or a simple statement from the Professional Games Match Officials Limited.
Wenger joked that intense, rollercoaster games like this had aged him. “And I am already old enough, I cannot afford that,” he said. Arsenal fans are ageing faster though. Wenger has to catch Leicester or catch further opprobrium.