WHAT GRANIT Dyche backs power of Pope
Out of this world one minute and crashing to earth next... Arteta still cannot work out what Arsenal will turn up and despairs: We keep giving things away to opponents
BY DAVID ANDERSON
IT may not feel like it, but Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal are making progress.
Arsenal’s European hopes were dented by this draw and instead of climbing the table, they are treading water.
They have won just two of their last seven league games and are stuck in 10th.
Arteta claims they are improving, even though they are roughly in the same place they were at this point last season when they were ninth with two fewer points.
And that’s with splashing out £77million on the likes of Thomas Partey in the last 12 months.
The Gunners did enough to beat Burnley and Arteta claims their display is evidence they are getting better because they deserved to lose this fixture 13 months ago when they drew 0-0. “The message is getting through, but some things take time,” said the Arsenal boss. “There were good moments and when we compare the game to a year ago when we played here, I think we completely deserved to win.
“A year ago, we deserved to lose that game, but the result was the same.
“I think that things are very, very different.”
Arteta (below) refuses to give up on Europe, although he knows it will be increasingly difficult to qualify through the Premier League.
“It’s really complicated at the minute,” he said. “I still have the feeling that the way we are playing, we can win any game, but as well, we are giving something to the opponents.
“In my mind this is where we have the biggest area for improvement.”
Arsenal remain a work in progress and it was alarming how their heads went down when Granit Xhaka gifted Chris Wood the equaliser to cancel out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s opener with a suicidal pass across his own goal.
Xhaka was sent off for grabbing Ashley Westwood by the throat when the Gunners lost to Burnley at the Emirates in December and apologised for his latest hairbrained moment on Instagram afterwards. “I hold my hand up for their goal and I’m sorry for the mistake,” said the midfielder.
Arsenal only roused themselves near the end when Nicolas Pepe missed a sitter, Erik Pieters de- flected another Pepe effort against the bar with his shoulder and Dani Ceballos hit the post. Yet
they could have lost and Wood failed to convert a great chance during the frantic finale. Arteta played down Arsenal’s mental frailty, claiming his players showed the right response to Xhaka’s error by finishing strongly.
“It can happen to a player, but it cannot happen to a team,” he said. “When you lose that idea, that feeling that they didn’t believe we could win the game, the reaction in the last 15 minutes was the answer.” This is a defining week for Arteta and Arsenal. On Thursday they face Olympiakos in Athens in the Europa League – their last hope of silverware – before the North London derby against Spurs at the Emirates on Sunday. Olympiakos dumped Arsenal out of the Europa League last season and Arteta insists his players can handle the pressure.
“We have the pressure of representing this club and what that means is that in any competition we play, we have to win,” he said. “These are massive games for us.” Burnley’s fifth successive home draw edged them closer to safety and Sean Dyche was pleased with how well Wood combined with the hardworking Matej Vydra in the absence of the injured Ashley Barnes.
“In the second half they were working, harrying, connecting with each other,” said the Burnley boss. “I always think when two strikers start connecting, you’re on to something. We are getting more and more productive.”
SEAN DYCHE claims Nick Pope is strong enough to shrug off his mistake for Arsenal’s goal.
Pope was angry with himself when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s shot squeezed past him for the opener in front of England boss Gareth Southgate.
Dyche has no worries about Pope and says he signed him from Charlton because he was impressed with his character when the Addicks were relegated from the Championship in 2016.
“When you get to the level of these lads, you shake things off quickly,” said the Clarets boss (above).
“It’s one he would normally save in his opinion, not mine, he got a good enough hand on it. No, his mentality is as solid as a rock and that’s a very important thing for a keeper.
“Himself and Tom Heaton, I brought them here after they got relegated.
“The reason why I brought them here was because of that because they dealt with it, they got on with it.
“They conceded goals, they were in teams that got relegated, yet their performance levels stayed high, their belief in doing the right things stayed high.
“That’s part of the belief of top players, let alone top goalkeepers, you’ve got to respond to anything that happens in the game. You’ve got to deal with it and focus on your performance. Popey was excellent apart from that.
“All his handling and positional sense continues to improve as well.”
CHELSEA Stamford Bridge 6pm
v EVERTON
REECE JAMES loves the fact that Thomas Tuchel kicks every ball on the touchline.
The England wing-back admits he has been surprised by the passion the Chelsea manager has shown since taking over from Frank Lampard six weeks ago.
While Lampard was a passive, thoughtful figure in the dugout, Tuchel is a whirlwind of activity, constantly shouting at his players and not hiding his frustration when things go wrong.
James said: “The boss is very funny and very passionate. He wants to win, he wants the best for his players and his team, and that shows when he is on the sideline – he kicks and heads every ball.
“The style of play that he has brought in has been clear for us to understand. The more we play together, the stronger we will be. Game by game we will get better and build together.”
Chelsea head into tonight’s clash with Everton at Stamford Bridge unbeaten in Tuchel’s first 10 games in charge. They entertain Everton on the back of one of their most impressive results so far under their new manager, the 1-0 win at Liverpool last Thursday which moved them into fourth place in the Premier League table.
James added: “As a collective, we were all on it that night, and that showed in the performance.
“The game at Anfield last season was a tough one and we lost (5-3 in July), but Thursday’s result shows you just how far we have come.”
James has had to battle for his place under Tuchel, with Callum Hudson-Odoi preferred as the right wing-back early on in the German’s reign. His start at Anfield was only his fourth in the last 10 games of the new Chelsea era. It has now seemingly developed into a contest between the two academy graduates for that role in the team, with Hudson-Odoi not always pleasing Tuchel with his performances. He was hauled off at halftime at Manchester United, and subbed when he came on as a substitute at Southampton .
James said: “When you play for a top team you cannot always play – you know there will be a period where you don’t play as much. The manager always has his reasons. He is the manager, he makes the decisions, and I have to respect them.
“I have known Callum for years. There is no problem between me and him. We get on well together – it is all part of the game.”
But it is in James’s interests to nail down that role, with England playing the same wingback system under Gareth Southgate.
The 21-year-old star (with his Chelsea manager, above) said: “Yes, it probably helps. It will give the manager a clearer understanding of how I play as I am now playing in this formation week in, week out.”
YOU BLUETY James with Mason Mount celebrating winner at Liverpool