Chelsea 2 - 2 Arsenal

Weird, weird game.  Arteta has to be thrilled with this lesson in endeavor and optimism.  I actually switched the channel after the PK out of disgust (Mustafi!  Arrgh!), but of course I switched back a minute later.  I wanted to see how we reacted, though I was positive this was not a deficit we were going to come back from.  Buoyed by the way our ten men were playing, I kept watching, growing prouder of them by the minute.  We didn't look good on corners, we allowed too many shots, but the ball was kept out of the net the rest of the first half and for a long time in the second. 

The Martinelli run and strike were magnificent.  He had Laca on his right but he wanted to take it on and he came through.  He's a teenager with enormous confidence and heart.  I figured the Chavs would get another goal, probably off a corner, and we'd lose.  Well, you know how wrong I was on the second part of that prediction.  It was shades of that spanking we gave Liverpool years ago as Bellerin lashed a left-footed shot into the far side of goal.  We held on and got a point that was much more than that in terms of forging a team spirit and faith in their manager.

Yes, Chelsea could have had four or five goals on the night, but they didn't.  We took two shots all game and they both went in.  Under the circumstances, it's hard to argue we didn't deserve that point.

I'm sure Shkodran Mustafi is a nice guy.  He obviously likes the club; he has been invited to leave it numerous times but hangs on.  But come on--that horrible back pass was just one of the unforced errors he made in this game.  He keeps trying to find that killer throughball but he never does, and in the process turns it over cheaply several times a game.  Remember that Mustafi was at fault for Chelsea's winning goal in the Emirates game.  He costs us points quite frequently with poor play.  Can't we move this guy on?  Luiz probably should have avoided the foul; at least we'd have had 11 on the field.  But I don't really fault him for his play there.  Leno might have come out quicker but I suspect he'd have been beaten to the ball anyway and it would have been his red card (albeit outside the box) or a goal anyway.  Our GK played well and made a few decent saves.

OK, the honor roll:
Xhaka was excellent, both in midfield and as a makeshift center back.
Torreira kept them from setting up clean shots up the middle, and kept possession several times under duress.
Bellerin was quite good, corralling Willian and of course for the goal.
Saka put in another fantastic performance, at least after the first ten minutes or so when Hudson-Odoi turned him inside out a few times.  He got solid on defense and he was a real threat.
Martinelli did the business yet again.  He's clearly a real prospect and has already proven indispensable on our first team.
Pepe was pretty good, I thought. The way he takes defenders on is awesome, and he's going to start connecting with the other frontmen soon to bang in more goals and rack up assists.  It was important that he kept Azpilacueta et al occupied.
Lacazette did his job and then some.  I love the guy.  The goals will come.

Ozil was the underperformer.  He just wasn't on.  He's trying, but he's not sufficiently switched on.  At 11v11, he didn't show up, and it took the steam out of the attack.

Well, I'm rather tired of character-building draws, and I know Mikel is too.  Burnley for the FA Cup tie, then we get Auba back and some winnable games in the league.  Nine points would make our prospects look a lot sunnier.

A Couple of Draws

I didn't write about the Palace game, and was tempted not to write about the Sheffield game just played, because 1-1 was so disappointing when we'd played so well.  But I honestly feel as though we're getting our Arsenal back, bit by bit.  We'd dug a hole for ourselves that we're most unlikely to emerge from this season, Europe-wise, but we're a more solid team with a real identity now.  I love the way the team supports each other, and the hustle is evident everywhere on the pitch. 

It was a fair result today, no complaints about being robbed.  The visitors had the better first half yet we scored late, and it was the reverse after the break.  There were some letoffs for both sides, and both goals resulted partly from deflections.  Mikel should be proud of the effort he saw.

I'm most excited about our future.  Some of our stars are still in their peak years, but the best news is how many Gunners are teenagers and in their early 20s.  Here's a solid foundation for you, with one gaping hole we'll cover later:

Leno is 27, quite young for a top GK
Hector is 24, Kieran 22, Rob's 24, Calum just under 25, Saliba 20, Sead's 26 and Ainsley 22
Lucas is just under 24, Joe and Matteo are 20, Granit 27, Smith-Rowe 19
Nicolas is 24, Reiss 20, Eddie 20, Martinelli 18, Saka 18

Okay, I know Saliba may not make in the EPL, and Holding and Chambers are no one's idea of top-class central defenders, though I think they're good.  That's our main issue, and I think it can be addressed in the summer.

I want to see more progress this season, of course.  But I'm really confident that next season Arsenal will be top four contenders again--I'll think we'll make it, too.

Arsenal 2 - 0 Manchester United

Now that's more like it.  Man U was decidedly subpar on the evening, but the Gunners played with style and effort and deserved the win.  We had more chances and better ones.  The defending was finally at the proper level of organization and desire.  There was a lot to like about what Arsenal did in the Chelsea game, but this was much better, and the result shows it.  It's early days in the Arteta era, but it looks as though he's already making the players and the team better.  It's not just attitude, although that has improved.  They're making better decisions individually, running more, and contributing on defense.  As a team, they're coordinating better, covering for each other quickly, and playing according to a plan they all appear to understand and buy into.

The question now is how we adapt to the injury crisis, especially in defense.  AMN has been extremely important and is getting better all the time.  I don't know when Bellerin's getting back, but at this point he'll have a difficult time supplanting the Englishman.  Tierney's months away from full training.  Chambers appears to be out for the season, and maybe for part of the next.  Kolasinac played hurt today.  Saka is an intriguing fill-in; he's learning to defend like a fullback and still retains the ability to torch the opponents with his speed and dribbling when he gets forward.  Maybe I'm imagining it, but Luiz and Sokratis seem to be playing a lot better under Arteta.  Mustafi might improve too; I sure hope so.  Holding has to be close to featuring again.  But we're on very thin ice defensively and another serious injury would put us in a spot.

As we might have expected, it's in midfield that we see Mikel working his most impressive magic.  Ozil is 100% better.  Torreira is happy in his natural position.  Xhaka benefits from the better organization and discipline Arteta has inspired.  Guendouzi can focus better now that he's working in a system that makes sense.  Willock can come in and do the job when called upon, and perhaps Smith-Rowe can get into the rotation. 

The forwards/wingers take seriously their charge to be the front line of defense now.  They know that helping to win the ball back means more frequent scoring opportunities.

We're improving at a good time, with the cup competitions restarting and our position in the table poor but not hopelessly out of contention for Europe (Europa League anyway).  But like always, it's one game at a time.

I admit to rooting for a Liverpool loss soon so they won't be invincibles too.