Gunners pass fizzical but will they push on?
DERIDE the champagne and the celebrations all you want. Arsenal needed this. They needed the optimism that this earlyseason success over the defending Premier League champions would send around north London. They needed to go into the new campaign believing that this time it could be different. That this time they would not bottle it midway through to leave the big boys to fight it out. Defeat here – against a Chelsea side depleted in numbers and groaning under the suggestions of internal wrangling – would have FsRuOggMeBsAteCdKaPnAoGtEher nine months of the same old story in N7.
Instead there were signs of a character, courage and key players who could make the difference.
Alex Iwobi started superbly, slicing through the Chelsea defence at will. Granit Xhaka, so often a liability last season, was disciplined and industrious in midfield. Alexandre Lacazette, the Gunners’ £44million new striker from Lyon, curled a shot against the post.
When Per Mertesacker needed stitches to a head after being injured by Gary Cahill, new boy Sead Kolasinac came on and looked a cracking free transfer from Schalke. His goal, with eight minutes left, earned Arsenal their reward for not giving up.
Gunners followers will hope that tenacity lasts long into the season.
Remember too, this was a side with no Ozil or Sanchez, neither of whom were in the squad.
Let’s not kid ourselves, Arsene Wenger will continue to operate on the cusp of either euphoria or crisis. He’ll be under no illusions going
into the new
season. Arsenal Fan TV will continue to entertain supporters of rival clubs over the coming campaign.
Wenger looks to have options, however, with which he can hang in there this season. For the long haul.