Yeah, that hurts. Though to be honest, it is what I feared. There were times in the game when I thought it was going to be worse than 2:1 as well.
We had our best spell for the period after half-time when we got the equaliser and penned Spurs back in their own half. If only we had scored. If only….
But Spurs rode the pressure, re-grouped and came back at Arsenal. Then Lady Luck piled in with another good kicking in the nads, as Bacary Sagna fell badly from a tackle and went off. Jenkinson was straight away getting skinned alive by Bale and Assou-Ekotto. Benayoun was bought on, not really to attack but do provide a bit a resistance ahead of Jenkinson.
The fight back was over really, despite the rather desperate tactic near the end of dropping Coquelin into the defence to release Mertesacker as a sort of route one centre-forward. Well at least we were trying something different, but it didn’t succeed in unsettling Spurs.
They could have scored more and so could we. But they looked more likely. Van Der Vaart’s goal could have been ruled out for hand-ball and he could have got a second yellow for celebrating with the crowd. But we’d have been gutted if either decision had been given against one of our players, so no hiding place there.
Walcott and Gervinho seemed to play a lot more centrally. Was that a deliberate strategy or just where they found the gaps? Hard to tell on one game. Robin Van Persie worked very hard and is clearly our most skillful player. But he needs to receive the ball in more dangerous areas than he did yesterday afternoon.
Ramsey and Arteta seemed tired. On Friday I said that we would need everyone on top of their game. Aaron and Mikel were not yesterday, but they shouldn’t shoulder anymore blame than the rest. A game too far perhaps, but we have needed them. And without Wilshere they will have to play plenty of games. Rosicky didn’t even make the bench. Jack Wilshere’s absence is, maybe, a warning against over-playing Chamberlain. He is the media darling though, and they are in full cry today over why Wenger can’t appreciate the talent that everyone else can.
Coquelin was the pick of the Arsenal players for me, and for you too judging by our Man of the match poll which he leads ahead of Szczesny and Song. He doesn’t have the same physical menace as Frimpong but he is more clever and is more consistent through the game. That said, he still doesn’t deliver for the whole ninety minutes. But he has jumped up the pecking order and I think we’re going to see more of him.
The fact that the MotM poll is led by a holding midfielder, central defender and keeper tells you what you need to know really – we were beaten and it could have been worse.
We’re definitely going to see a lot more of Jenkinson. Sagna, we are told, has a fracture and will be out for three months. This is a big blow. Sagna has his off games of course, but mostly he just quietly gets on with being our most consistent defender. Jenkinson has shown potential, but now we’re going to need more, without being able to pick and choose the opponents that he learns his trade against.
Just something else to pick away at what the team lacks most present – confidence. I’m getting a bit bored with Arsene’s handbrake line, it’s not the only problem we have, but confidence is a big problem and casting anxious glances at the right flank isn’t going to help.
Anyway, enough analysis, the office beckons. Everyone’s going to be a Spurs fan today.
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