Lacazette eases Emery anxiety in top four hunt
A STRANGE team right now, Arsenal. Only one point behind the top four, although that is a destination their manager views as exceptionally difficult to reach.
The energy coming from Unai Emery and his players does not exude positivity, yet they remain in touching distance. Hanging in there just as they hung on here.
Huddersfield should have left with at least a point on a heavy afternoon for the club Terriers manager Jan Siewert charmingly referred to as ‘Arsenal of London’.
When Alexandre Lacazette put this game to bed a minute before half-time, Emery celebrated with a double punch of the air and an uncharacteristic roar, but such is his frustration at the stodginess of his first season here and the lack of control they exert in matches that celebrations were swift.
He beckoned defender Nacho Monreal and heatedly reinforced what was expected of his back three. Emery’s anxiety was evident all afternoon, even at the Premier League’s most welcoming venue.
‘It’s very important, the points, to be closer to the top four,’ he said. ‘Our target is this. Today can give us confidence to continue with our target. If we ask “is it difficult for us?” then yes, I think it’s difficult. But we can. We are on our way.’
The Spaniard is one of the game’s great wincers – eyes narrowed, raised cheekbones, stress lines clear – and it offers transparency into his mind. He clearly did not think this was very polished.
Huddersfield have an annoying habit of competing and seeming the better side before throwing goals away and simply choosing wrong options going forward. There is a sense of resignation that relegation is a matter of when, not if.
‘We created so many chances,’ Siewert said. ‘I always tell the lads that the fight comes first and then the luck comes back. I will fight until the end for these lads and for this club to stay in the Premier League. The way we played makes me so proud.’
It should not really be this cut and dried so early and Siewert was on the wrong end of an astonishing refereeing decision when Arsenal were only a goal ahead.
After 25 minutes, Jason Puncheon fired a half-volley towards goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Laurent Koscielny hurtled out to stop the shot but did so with his right arm.
Jon Moss moved whistle towards lips but changed his mind. Arsenal were off the hook and this might have been a different game had Moss stuck to his conviction.
It would also have been a different game had Ben Hamer, the stand-in goalkeeper after Jonas Lossl was taken ill, not gifted Alex Iwobi the opening goal after 16 minutes. Iwobi was hanging about at the back post waiting for a cross, did not connect with his volley well but the slightest of deflections had Hamer flailing and palming the ball into his own net.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are not quite harmonising and Emery’s constant pointing suggests he thinks his players still need walking through games. Lacazette gave the manager some back at one point. It was he who lost possession during a promising break, Emery apoplectic at the mistake.
Lacazette added the second goal just before the break. Huddersfield had slowed Henrikh Mkhitaryan down sufficiently but could not then clear. He recycled the ball out to Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Arsenal had a couple unmarked at the back post for the academy product to pick out. Lacazette was one and made it two. Huddersfield have scored twice in a fixture only once this season. So, despite a decent performance and a late consolation goal, they were never coming back. Opportunities came and went though. Adama Diakhaby forced Leno into a smart stop down to his left. Laurent Depoitre out-ran Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi but shot wide.
Depoitre caused real issues, bumbling towards goal again and debutant Karlan Grant had a shot cleared off the line. Finally there came a response, in stoppagetime, when Aaron Mooy slipped Diakhaby in. His shot was stopped by Leno but then deflected via Monreal and Saed Kolasinac. Their first goal since January 2.
‘We worked very well,’ Emery said, rather diplomatically. ‘Every player helped each other. I’m proud with our work.’ Huddersfield (4-3-3): Hamer 5.5; Smith 6, Jorgensen 6, Schindler 6, Kongolo 6 (Durm 56min, 7); Bacuna 6, Hogg 6, Mooy 6; Diakhaby 7, Puncheon 7 (Depoitre 66, 7), Kachunga 5.5 (Grant 82). Booked: Schindler, Kongolo, Diakhaby. subs (not used): Coleman, Billing, Pritchard, Stankovic. ArsenAl (3-4-2-1): Leno 7; Mustafi 6, Koscielny 6, Monreal 6; Maitland-Niles 7, Torreira 6.5 (Elneny 59, 6), Guendouzi 6.5, Kolasinac 6; Mkhitaryan 6.5 (Suarez 76), Iwobi 7.5 (Willock 87); Lacazette 7. Booked: Maitland-Niles, Kolasinac. subs (not used): Cech, Lichtsteiner, Mavropanos, Nketiah, Willock. referee: J Moss 5.