Frustration. That is the overriding feeling I shall take away from last night’s game.
It felt back to same-old-Arsenal that we’ve seen and sighed at time and again, in terms of strikes on goal (lack thereof), quality strikers (lack thereof) and ability to counter aggressive opposition (again, lack thereof).
It wasn’t all bad, don’t get me wrong. I think I’m just ruing previous results and performances this season, which has left two-dropped-points against Everton feeling like such a drag.
We pulled it out of the bag at the weekend to snatch three-points in an ultimately flattering score line, but last night’s match couldn’t provide the same favour to our top four chase.
Granted, with Everton hanging on the coattails of fourth-place, we were prepared for a tougher game. And Moyes’s side made it clear early on that ugly football was a fine means by them of trying to win three points. Hence why so much of the game was spent battling it out in the middle of the park. Everton’s dogged defending and our ineptitude upfront last night ensured a 0-0 was all but inevitable.
Still, the pressure we forced in the last 20 minutes or so was enough to inspire us rose-tinted Gooners into thinking we could pull off another last-gasp feat. Like on Saturday, the arrival of Oxlade-Chamberlain was a key factor to boosting our attacking threat – his presence coincided with our boosted morale, and he set up two great chances that on any other day – or with perhaps any other (top quality) striker – would have found the back of the net.
Alas, this was not Giroud’s day, and he found himself bearing the same wrath Gervinho endured at the weekend. (NB. Feel free to read ‘as the weekend’ as a synonym for ‘all season’). To be fair, the Everton defence seemed persistently a split-second ahead of us; timing blocks and tackles perfectly to cancel out the few chances we created.
That said, I couldn’t help but bring Giroud’s 17 debut-season-goals to mind, as I winced at his failings last night. Somewhere, there is quality there – but I resent relying on him as our main striker. Coupled with Wenger’s adverseness to starting supposed ‘central striker’, Podolski, we are crying out – still, again – for another forward to be bought this summer. A high-lined striker, better than all of our current players in that position – which shouldn’t be hard, albeit the money we’re likely to spend will make it so.
When Meatloaf said ‘two out of three ain’t bad’, he certainly didn’t have our forwards in mind. Our links to Cavani et al are merely tabloid fodder – I don’t expect us to blow anyone out of the water with a big transfer coup, that’s for sure.
It’s a shame this draw has deflated me so much. I think it just re-exposed all the areas in which we are lacking, desperately clawing for points to finish third, when we are a sobering 20 points behind United.
Alongside Little Ox, Aaron Ramsey stood out again last night, as on Saturday. He’s improved from the galling misplaced passes and slow-thinking he was guilty of earlier in the season. Jack, perhaps not fully fit? Certainly under the kosh from the Everton midfield and not as hot on forcing a creative surge forward as we like to expect from him. Same for Santi last night – he seemed to make small miracles happen in tight spaces, but couldn’t break through enough to question Everton’s harrying defenders.
And perhaps I was seeing things, but I’m quite convinced Arteta resisted a couple of decent potential chances on goal? Devil’s advocate, maybe. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, with hope he decides to attack instead of force a moot pass, at the next similar opportunity.
It’s all very well ruing these missed chances, but when we look back at the end of the season – hopefully from the giddy heights of third-place – I don’t think Everton is going to be the game we look to with most regret.
We are in that unsatisfying and helpless position of relying on the failings of others (Spurs, Chelsea) in order to succeed. Our North London rivals are playing City this weekend, and still have Chelsea to come, away, on May 8 (a midweek game sandwiched between Southampton and Stoke). Chelsea, similarly, have United still to come on the May Bank Holiday weekend, and close the season vs Everton. Not to mention their European distraction. (Hopefully far enough to harm their PL form, but not far enough to win.)
This all said, moaning aside, we are actually on a pretty good run of form – six games unbeaten is a feat for us. Until now, Spurs away aside, we’ve won all seven other PL games since February. That’s the form we are after this end of the season. It’s vital we keep the winning mentality to take three points from Fulham. We are the form team of the third-place battle and cannot afford to lose face. Nor can we afford the arduous mental shake-up of letting Man United win the Premier League title at the Emirates.
With Robin there.
Didn’t really want to end on that note. Let’s return to celebrating the return to form of Little Ox. He’s done well coming off the bench last couple of games. Been a real threat and revived the excitement his presence brought last season.
Also, someone tell Theo to buck up a little.
And so to Fulham… I’m convinced we can add three more points to the tally. Then all we need to worry about is United.
PS. What’s everyone’s views on Number One ‘keeper? Because I’ve – yes, really – thought Fabianski has done well since he’s been drawn in. And the little Chesney had to do yesterday didn’t satisfy me he wasn’t going to make more errors as the end-of-season pressure ramps up…
Pursuit of Nattiness 