GOOD OLD DAZE
Woefully out of form but able to turn back the clock in Europe, Gunners fans must be bewildered
DEVASTATED, dazed and confused.
Not the crushed AC Milan players, but the bewildered Arsenal fans who will not know whether to laugh or cry. Arsene Wenger really is the Teflon Don. He is Al Pacino’s Tony Montana, shooting his way out of trouble just when his critics think they have got him where they want him. But you are going to need an army if you want to take out the Gunners boss. This was supposed to be his last stand. His Waterloo. His players had supposedly downed tools on him and were set to be burnt to a crisp in the fire reignited by Gennaro Gattuso in his AC Milan fighters. Yet here we are. Barring a miracle at the Emirates, Arsenal are now through with their two away goals and – you have to say – an impressive display.
Every time the game looks up for Wenger he pulls out a monster result. Every time it looks for sure he has faced his final curtain, he survives to keep his story running longer than The Mousetrap.
The travelling fans voiced their delight, but pointedly did not voice their support for Wenger.
He will not care. His dream of Europa League success, the backdoor into next season’s Champions League that will make it harder to sack him, remains alive.
Tony Adams, Thierry Henry and all the other Arsenal pretenders to the crown in the Gunners’ Game of Thrones will have to wait just that little bit longer.
Defiant Wenger has always maintained he would go out on his terms. This stunning win – inflicting a first defeat on Milan in 14 games – is quite some way of making his point.
Arsenal had managed to win just six of their 21 away days before this. The Milan players had clearly not been watching that much English football on TV over the past fortnight or so.
Outclassed by Manchester City twice in five days, the Gunners were snowflakes against soldiers at Brighton on Sunday.
They were believed to be there for the taking last night.
The travelling fans thought so, singing at halftime: “How s*** must you be? We’re winning away.” Milan were not poor, they simply afforded Arsenal too much respect.
All too often they stood off the Gunners stars, allowing them the time and space they needed to get their passing game back on track.
Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Aaron Ramsey needed no second invitation. Fourteen minutes in, Ozil played a superb first-time ball to free Mkhitaryan in the box and the Armenian hammered in a deflected effort which gave keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma no chance.
Arsenal were always shaky at the back, but going forward grew in confidence.
Donnarumma saved from Calum Chambers four minutes before the break and Danny
Welbeck shot weakly at the Milan keeper when through on goal.
He played a decent pass, though, that released Mkhitaryan and he shifted the ball on to his right foot just as he did for the goal, but this time his shot clipped the crossbar.
Shortly after, four minutes into first-half stoppage-time, Ramsey got a precious second goal.
Ozil sliced through Milan’s defence, freeing the Wales star who had so much space he could have applied for planning permission. He then rounded Donnarumma to tap in.
Welbeck had yet another great chance minutes into the second half. But he lacked belief when sent clear and fluffed it.
Arsenal’s shambolic home display against Ostersunds was proof that they could yet stuff it up from here.
But Wenger will have enjoyed making his point. He goes when he wants to.