Remi Garde’s rejuvenated Villa did quite a favour to us, but our failure to capitalize on that with a 1-1 draw means that everything stays exactly the same, as far as the title race is concerned. We all hoped for more – character, more than anything else, as I can’t recall a flatter North London derby – but considering how dire we were in the first half, it could have been worse.
That we pretty much selected what we could in the starting XI, goes to show how paper-thin our team is at the moment. And it’s ridiculous we’re still superstitious enough to blame it on luck. This is the 21st century, one built on reason. The assumption that our injury cards were simply distributed unfairly is ridiculous.
Even when we could rotate, we didn’t. There’s a reason I didn’t have qualms with Wenger rotating heavily against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos. There’s a reason I was an advocate of the Giroud-Walcott striking duo, until Theo got injured (sigh). It’s because, sometimes the manager needs to take a look at the opposition and his own players, and rotate game-by-game accordingly.
The fact that Aaron Ramsey and Hector Bellerin played oh-so many games before quite obviously falling to muscular injuries is so painfully predictable. Players like Ramsey and Bellerin are notably renowned for their workrate and pace – surely such elements must be kept in check while managing them? We’re incredibly fortunate Alexis hasn’t twanged his hammy, but the way he’s playing, Wenger’s negligence to rest and rotate him when he could (when Walcott and Ox were still fit) is proving costly.
Even after today, regarding Santi Cazorla Wenger said to the press:
“Cazorla was at 30% of his potential. He was dizzy. So many times I was sitting there wondering ‘do I take him off?’ “
It’s amazing the medical staff didn’t pick up on that before the game. To put things in broader contexts, it’s beyond amazing Theo and the Ox passed their medicals for Sheffield. It’s also amazing how injuries have been a problem with Arsene since 2005, and people are still struggling to pinpoint who’s at fault.
Even with all the injuries, we had an opportunity to rotate two. Mathieu Flamini could have come in for either Cazorla or Coquelin (he did, but 45 minutes too late). In addition, Gabriel Paulista could have ensured Laurent Koscielny (who had just returned from an injury, remember) or Per Mertesacker were not overplayed. He didn’t, further pushing both of our first-choice CB’s to the lamented red-zone.
Wenger’s negligence meant that we started at turtle-pace, despite having one day of rest over Tottenham’s Europa adventures. For the entirety of the first half we were unable to string presentable moves, forget test Hugo Lloris. Harry Kane was a bitch to Mertesacker and Koscielny, and it was the Frenchman who played him onside for the goal. Spurs were, quite obviously and regrettably, the better team in the first half.
We started the second half with purpose. Tottenham were looking nervy in the air, but Giroud missed two really good chances. Am I the only one who thinks that despite his qualities, there’s something unreliable about him when pressures reach boiling point?
Mesut Ozil, recognizing that set-pieces were our best bets, kept scooping in delicious crosses one after another. What a player the German has become for us. We’re actually reliant on the guy to keep it coming. It’s not exactly healthy, but goes to show how much Ozil is currently leading by example.
He got assist number ten in the league when his diagonal was latched on by fresh-legged Gibbs, who scrambled it past Lloris. The Englishman had a good game on the offensive front (obviously, because he played as a winger), and I hope he gives Nacho Monreal a breather in the future.
In fact, I sort-of hope everyone is given some time off. We just about managed to make it to the finish line (i.e. the international break), and we have Arteta, Ospina and Bellerin back, with Ramsey and the Ox beginning training after the international fixtures. We need players like Cazorla, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud, most of the back four – hell, even Petr Cech and Francis Coquelin – to get some time off. The likelihood of most of them getting it through their national fronts is less, so we must ensure we do it internally.
It’s part and parcel of a title push, this.
-Santi [Follow me on Twitter @ArsenalBlogz ]
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