Derby display is too late for Arsenal to avoid that feeling of deja vu
ARSENAL showed tremendous bottle to fight back for a draw with 10 men in a pulsating North London derby yesterday, but it looks too late for the Gunners to turn the corner now.
For all their experience, wealth and talent, Arsenal have been lacking the sheer desire to win games in the last few weeks and it will cost them the Premier League title.
And, while Gunners fans will be delighted their side showed a bit of character and determination after going 2-1 behind at White Hart Lane yesterday, they must also be shaking their heads that those basic requirements were absent in the two games leading up to the Spurs clash.
It was a totally different display by Arsenal compared to their previ- ous two games. Watching them lose against Manchester United and Swansea City, it could have been any Wenger team over the past 10 years. Just when you thought they had it sussed and had what it took, they go and disappoint yet again. Deja vu.
That was a bad defeat at Old Trafford and Arsene Wenger was wrong to whinge about the gulf in the money paid for the two starting line-ups.
Manchester United were arguably at their weakest with so many injuries. Their centre-backs were Michael Carrick and Danny Blind. Enough said.
Fair play to United and Louis van Gaal. From the depths of despair, they’ve won four on the bounce and they went into the game as underdogs against Arsenal only to hand them a lesson.
A few weeks ago, I made no secret of my admiration for Wenger and his right to continue to manage his way. But this had to be the season he won the league again.
At least he was brave enough to make the changes yesterday and it was something of a surprise when Olivier Giroud started on the bench, but then Danny Welbeck has looked really sharp and gives the team so much more.
His biggest flaw is that he doesn’t score more consistently.
Aaron Ramsey was excellent, and scored a brilliant goal while Alexis Sanchez got on the scoresheet at last and he is definitely looking brighter.
But the problem for Wenger is that teams who go to the Emirates know how Arsenal are going to play. And it rarely changes, as Swansea worked out.
You have to question if there is a lack of preparation on opposition in the Arsenal camp.
Wenger has said he doesn’t like to inhibit his players by worrying about the other teams.
But I think that is a given for Premier League players now. They’d prefer to work on their next oppo- nent’s strengths and weaknesses in the build-up to a game.
Why go into it blind when he can spend valuable time building up confidence in training?
And why he has persevered with Per Mertesacker, rather than go out and buy a centre-half with pace, I do not know. And I am not alone. The fact that he has won a World Cup with Germany is irrelevant. He struggles against anyone who is half-quick, which is nearly every Premier League striker.
And as we saw yet again for Wayne Routledge’s equaliser in the Swansea game, if a player gets beyond Mertesacker, he just stops. There is no desire to defend. He has done it time and time again for the last four years. And Wenger still picks him.
Regardless of yesterday’s positives, Arsenal have been far too inconsistent this season and they are running out of time.
The draw is a blow for Tottenham but, with the pressure of the derby game out of the way, they will be looking to get back to winning ways.
As for Manchester City, yesterday’s thumping win over Aston Villa does not alter the fact that the title is beyond them now. They would have to win every game from here on in and having lost eight games already, there is no chance of them doing that.