Relief for angry Pep but Liverpool win yet again
Premier League reports
WHEN it was all done, the locals had themselves a little grumble. Not the kind of frothing mutiny of Arsenal’s recent past, but the kind they know so well in these parts. The kind that comes when those folk of lofty standards in the crowd feel all is not right in their world.
Which, of course, it isn’t. It almost never is these days, and this was one of the more trying ones, when in the absence of the captain they seem to loathe, they still flapped about without a win or a clue.
Not that anyone expected Granit Xhaka’s absence to herald an instant fix. Nor did anyone seriously believe the return of Mesut Ozil would bring back the sunshine. No, because the problems run deeper than small tweaks.
How deep? That, ultimately, is for the club’s power brokers to decide, but Unai Emery must be feeling uneasy about his standing, even if he says he isn’t. Indeed, it remains a football truism that boos at the final whistle tend to signify a shortening runway for a manager and there e were plenty at the end nd of this one.
An element of that hat was down to the frustration of seeing a win fade into something less for the third time in a week, with RaulJimenezc an celling out Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang’s first-half opener.
But it was about more than that — it was about the balance of this game, which largely favoured Wolves. It was about a playing style that again lacked a single recognisable trait and a muddled system w which often saw a de defensive midfield fielder in Lucas Torreira a at the attacking tip of the diamond. It was about playing on the counter at home against a mid-table side and being outdone by 25 shots to 10. Plenty of the football played under Emery has lacked logic and here the message was as confused as ever, up to and including Arsenal’s best moment — the goal — which came about because a central defender in David Luiz found himself in possession on the right wing. Bizarre times. After it was done,
Emery was asked about his position, saying: ‘I am very demanding (of) myself and I feel every time the opportunity to work and come back with a better result.’
But will they come? At this stage, it feels hard to buy into that with confidence. Even the inclusion of Ozil didn’t bring about a significant improvement.
He was given the warmest reception of the day ahead of kick off and worked hard, even defensively, but he looked rusty, which is to be expected on the back of only one previous Premier League appearance this season.
‘He worked, he played well,’ was Emery’s basic appraisal. He was marginally more expansive on the prospects of Aubameyang retaining the captaincy.
He became the fifth man to wear the band in 16 games owing to last weekend’s Xhaka saga and Emery indicated he could continue in the role, saying: ‘He is one of the captains and I think he can take that responsibility.’
It ought to be noted that this draw came against an impressively resurgent team.
Wolves were a mess at the start of the campaign but now stand six games unbeaten and more like the force of last season. Nuno Espirito Santo said: ‘We finished the game on the front foot, we were the better team in the final moments.
‘ But really we are unhappy because we should be more clinical. Perfection doesn’t exist but we are always chasing it.’