In what was sure to be an infuriating affair for the red half of North London, Arsenal capitulated to Tottenham in the second half of this season’s second and final match between the local rivals. After a first half which saw a couple quality chances for both sides, Tottenham was able to capitalise on a loose ball in the box, slammed home by Dele Alli, followed quickly by a seriously questionable penalty, resulting in a quick 2 goal lead. The match might have thrilled to the end if the second goal hadn’t come so soon after the first, effectively ending Arsenal’s comeback before it could be mounted. Here is a look at my 5 biggest takeaways from the match.
Wenger Out Coached by Pochettino
An occurrence that seems to happen more often these days, from the release of the team sheets to the final whistle, Mauricio Pochettino clearly had his team more ready to play. Opting for the 3-4-3 that had secured some positive results of late, Wenger once again sacrificed much of his team’s usual domination of possession for a more solid approach at the back. Pochettino seemed to perfectly anticipate the Arsenal XI, because it was quite obvious from the opening whistle where the Spurs wanted to attack: down the left flank. The Arsenal right side, with Gabriel in defence, Oxlade-Chamberlain at wing back and Ozil up on the wing, the right side, rather blatantly, looked like the weakest side defensively. The decision to start Olivier Giroud was similarly perplexing, as his inclusion allowed the Spurs to play a high defensive line, squeezing the midfield and giving the Gunners no time to build attacks from their favoured, just-off-center channels in the final third.
Given Tottenham’s commitment to playing down the flanks, Arsenal’s wing backs, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs were forced to play more as defenders and were seldom allowed the chance to create chances down the flanks themselves. Though the Gunners were a tougher nut to crack in the first half, with commendable effort and mostly solid shape, their resolve quickly fell apart in the second half, with the pace of Welbeck and Walcott coming on too late to make any conceivable difference. After the first 15 or so minutes, this match was all Tottenham.
The unArsenalization of Arsenal
When the tactical shift to a back 3 was made by Arsene Wenger 4 matches ago, it was done in the name of defensive solidity. For the first 3, this seemed to work, not only with fewer goals conceded but also fewer moments of visible chaos in their own end. It was very concerning to some, the very un-Arsenal lack of fluidity on display, but many supporters were happy that, at last, something radical and visible was being done to attempt a team-wide improvement.
Leading up to the Tottenham match, Arsene Wenger made the comment that the new system currently seems the best for getting the most out of the squad, an assessment I wholeheartedly disagree with (and if being honest, he might as well). To begin with, so much of how Arsenal are forced to play in this system flies directly in the face of what Wenger stands for as a manager. Playing with the 3-4-3 requires a rigidity to the way the defenders and midfielders play, and often it can direct play through the wide areas. Wenger has always loved his central midfielders, but in this system, they become outnumbered and isolated. There is no number 10 to be found, and it requires supreme intelligence and work rate across the midfield to be effective. A system that pushes Mesut Ozil way out wide, forces Oxlade-Chamberlain to spend the majority of the afternoon defending, facilitates having two mediocre left backs on the pitch at once, forces Granit Xhaka into a box to box role, and prevents Alexis Sanchez from seeing much of the ball for large stretches of the match is not one that best utilizes this squad, regardless of how much you look to put a positive spin on a reactionary change.
What Happened to the Big Club Mentality?
Related to the tactical discussion is the question of whatever happened to post-2013 Arsenal being a proper big club with big club aspirations? Obviously, and to the chagrin of many supporters, Arsene Wenger will often point to mentality as a reason why Arsenal have succumbed to defeat, and this match was no different. Though his love for his players means that he will never fully throw them under the bus like a certain Portuguese manager up North, he is correct about mentality being an issue. However, it is his that is perhaps just as much to blame.
Pragmatism is an admirable trait in a manager, and perhaps Wenger could have been accused in the past of not being pragmatic enough, but the growing trend to my eyes has been the team’s hesitance to play their game against top competition. After a promising looking 20 minutes of higher pressure from the Arsenal forwards, and Tottenham occasionally looked shaky at the back, the wave subsided, and Arsenal started to retreat into their defensive shape quicker, giving more room to the Spurs in the build up.
The decision to play more conservatively on the counterattack might have made sense for the Gunners, but then, why was Giroud starting up front? Why put the only player Alexis Sanchez regularly passes to on the opposite side of the pitch? Why, when you have some of the most creative ball players in the league do you not try and control the ball more?The answer to these questions, sadly, is that Wenger seems too hesitant to coach for the win these days- he seems to try and set his team up to not lose big matches, and their play reflects that.
Though the attack was excellent during the lengthy unbeaten run in the autumn, the Gunners have struggled to find balance on the attack, either building up too methodically and deliberately, or frequently wasting possession going for the quick strike goal. Alexis Sanchez, in particular, is often guilty of trying to score or set up every opportunity himself, frequently choosing the lower percentage option that would see him get more highlights on the tell if successful. The club need to get back to playing Arsenal football but do so without quite as much of the overlapping runs down the flanks that lead to so many opposing chances in transition.
Two Decades to Decay, But For How Long
Well it took over two decades, including the entirety of Arsene Wenger’s time as manager, but there will officially be no St Totteringham’s Day this year. Though the stories of a North London power struggle and the Spurs’ ascendency to one of the city’s finest clubs has almost certainly been exaggerated, but there is no question that if a Tottenham are able to keep some of their young superstars, they will continue to present a tough challenge for years to come. It must be remembered here that even if the Spurs do go on to win the title, Arsenal will still be able to claim more titles won at White Hart Lane than its residents. What is most important now for the Gunners is to do everything in their power to not drop another point the rest of the way and maintain their outside hopes of sneaking into the top 4, another two decade streak that is at risk this season.
What Comes Next for Arsenal?
The club must quickly forget the total disappointment of this match and refocus their efforts on a Manchester United squad that has quietly put together a lengthy unbeaten streak of their own. Having drawn a disproportionate amount of their contests, the Red Devils are still very much in sight of the Gunners, and the club should use this week to rest up and figure a plan of attack for next Sunday and their Mancunian visitors.
In a broader sense, not many questions have been answered, but at least some tough questions may actually be asked this summer. The contracts of Wenger, Sanchez, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain and others are running down into their final years, and still there are few concrete answers to be found. It is time for some of these situations to be resolved, so that this team and the reporters, writers, bloggers and supporters can move on to something else. Figuring out which of your major pieces are staying or moving allows you to move on to the next phase of improvement: new players.
Among some of the tougher questions facing the club away from the negotiation table are whether or not the time has run out on some players to fulfill their potential, and whether changes to back room staff, the coaching staff or the squad itself are necessary this summer for Arsenal to take the next step. Players like Kieran Gibbs, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey have been facing pivotal years in their careers for what seems like an eternity. With a full squad of 25 players, along with zero departures confirmed so far this summer, the club may have to move a player or two to make room for any newcomers.
Perhaps this can all be a good thing for Arsenal. Arsene Wenger may feel unlucky and as though an opportunity was missed last year, as Leicester City took the league in a down year for the traditional powers, but this season he will have no such notion. Without Santi Cazorla, the Gunners have been laughably inconsistent in the centre of the park while searching for a partnership that works on attack and in defence. The diminutive Spaniard is certainly a special player, but the club simply cannot expect him to be available for selection every week next year. At 32, he is far closer to the end of his career than the beginning, so the club should already have been preparing for this by scouting his replacement. Though they may not be as drastic as the changes many would like to see, it is obvious that Arsenal Football Club have a lot of work to do if they are to get back to being true contenders again in the Premier League.
Oh and one more thing. That second goal? That was a dive.
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