It has been quiet on the blog, and that when Arsenal are doing so well. Over the years, I have learned that there is more blog-traffic when things are not going so well, or when Arsenal have played well after a period of lesser results. There are even certain bloggers of whom you will not hear unless it rains the proverbial over Arsenal. Nothing queer as folk.
Arteta has built a group of players that works as one and for each other, and now he has the squad-depth to get results in almost any game. There is still a lot to come from this group: we can all see this, and yet Arsenal are top of the league by a decent margin and almost top of the CL table. Arsenal can play much better attacking football, but injuries and the embedding of new players have hampered us. With a bit of luck, we will soon have many of our attacking players fit and available, and then we will see some truly awesome football. For now, we will continue to rely on our rock-solid defence and moments of quality and genius up-front. Mikel Merino I salute you.
What the games until now have shown is that there is a real spine and structure to the team with a togetherness that is very rare, and very hard to achieve. In October Arsenal did not have to travel more than a few miles to Fulham, and then this month there are the triple away fixtures of Burnley, Slavia Prague and Sunderland (today). I loved the way the boys have scored early and then controlled the games, saving precious energy and avoiding to get injured as much as they could. It was all very professional. Today’s game, against the high-flying Black Cats, will be another challenge. I guess it is another one in which the opponent will need to be tamed after a stormy start; Arsenal can then take over initiative and hopefully control the game from then on. Three points today would be massive; Liverpool and Man City will then know that they cannot afford to lose tomorrow. And a draw in Manchester would just be bliss.
Today, Arsenal will play against the truly formidable Granit Xhaka. Even the British sports press have now warmed to the brilliant Swiss maestro: it took a long time! Regulars, the few that are left, know how big a fan I am of Granit. He is in my all-time star-11 Arsenal team because of his character, incredible ability to give (the all important) structure and shape to a team, his leadership skills, and his fabulous ability to constantly move the ball forward or sideways in the most efficient/effective way. Xhaka is one of the few players who looks around BEFORE he is about to receive the ball, and therefore he almost always knows what is the best passing option. It sounds so simple, yet so few do it. Many rather have an extra touch to find out what to do next, and (some) momentum is gone.
I was sad to see him leave, but understood why he did it. We got Declan and he is doing rather well too. The move to Sunderland came as a total surprise to me. I thought he was done with the UK but then he decides to move to a far North corner in Eastern England, and to a just promoted team as well! Why did he do it? I don’t think money will have been the key reason; a player like Granit can find easier teams and places to earn loads. I think it was a romantic choice, and players who make those sorts of choices – from the heart rather than the brain, and when he is still young enough to play for any top team – are rare and need to be treasured. That is exactly what they are doing in Sunderland, and the British press cannot do anything else but admire him for his choice. Everybody still loves a romantic, and I am really pleased for Xhaka.
Today we have to find a way through this well-structured Granit team and take all three points. Let’s watch out for his quick switches of play and that hammer of a left foot that can even take Raya by surprise. The Black Cats have nothing to lose and the crowd will be up for it. For 90+ minutes there is no time for romance and the Gunners will have to be ruthless. Even Granit will understand and quietly support it. He loved playing for us especially under Arteta, and he was a big part of the incredible journey this team has made under the Spaniard: he is in those Russian dolls. Let’s never forget it.
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Arsenal’s ‘Russian Dolls of Evolution’
By TotalArsenal