Hi everyone.
So, yesterday we failed to capitalise on Chelsea's mistake and return to the top. It's hard to take this for granted, as we faced the weakest United side in years. I've already talked about this yesterday, but talking is one thing, while seeing it with your own eyes is entirely different. In the immediate aftermath this point seemed unacceptable. In the cold light of day, it makes a bit more sense.
It was obvious right from the start Arsenal tried to pull off a back-to-basics performance, focusing on keeping a clean sheet, rather than going for a win. United also didn't force the matter, since losing a second game out of three would surely have been disastrous. Thus we had to witness a rather tedious 0-0 draw.
Arsene made two changes to the side that was well and truly beaten at Anfield. Gibbs replaced Monreal and Rosicky came in for Oxlade-Chamberlain to set a frenetic pace right from the first whistle.
He managed to do just that. There were quite a few things not to like about our performance yesterday, but the way we played without the ball is not one of them. I cannot recall when was the last time we closed players down with such efficiency. As soon as we lost the ball (something that happened a bit to often for my liking), two or three players pressed a United player in possession at once. I cannot give you the total number of interceptions, but Arteta alone managed five.
However, it was the things we we did (or rather, did not) do after recovering possession that resulted in so few moments to kill the game.
Firstly, the pace. Probably United were just cautious going forward, but it looked like we didn't make the transition from defence to attack quickly enough. The weapon we utilised so effectively earlier during the campaign was rendered useless due to our own sluggineshness.
Secondly, and this surprised me most, our passing was a bit off. Though we had a whole bunch of quality midfielders from the first minute to the last, we seemed unable to produce that killer pass.
There's only thing, which was duly noted by the manager later, that can explain these factors, namely, nervousness. Our notorious handbrake was on the entire game and this prevented us from pulling United's defence apart.
We stepped up the tempo during the second half and should have scored that winning goal in the last 15-20 minutes, however, Giroud proved once again unable to make his efforts count during such an important game. Cazorla tried to fill this void and produced two wonderful shots, but De Gea was equal to it. Koscielny came closest to scoring (as has become his trait during important games in the last couple of seasons), but his shot was cleared of the line by Valencia.
Now, I have to say we could have conceded. The Dutch Skunk did his damnedest to upset us, but Szczesny seemed ready to die on the pitch, rather than allow him to score again. He has, once again, helped us to get at least a point, when the game could have either way. He deserved this clean sheet as much as everyone else on the team.
A couple of words about Giroud. I have been returning to him throughout the season, giving him credit where it was due, but last night he was that difference between one point and three. I hate to say this, cause I like the Frenchman a lot, but it was obvious the team tried to get him involved as much as possible. I've talked a lot how he needs service from his teammates to score, that he rarely can create moments of danger for himself and yesterday he was provided with plenty of service.
Which also brought out the second weakest fundamental flaw in his game: Giroud is not a clinical finisher. He had at least two good chances from corners and a brilliant low cross from Ozil late in the game, but he failed to make it count. Giroud put both headers wide, when he should have buried at least one and, had he been quicker in the box, he only needed to put his foot to the ball in that low cross moment. He didn't.
Now, I have always talked up Giroud's other qualities. He's honest, hard working, a real fighter, is always ready to get back and help defensively. He's a good passer and is always ready to pass the ball to a teammate in a better position. On his day, he's a decent finisher.
However, his drawbacks were thrown into the light yesterday and never had I wished for us to have a different kind of striker on the bench more. We need a mobile, quick, technical kind of forward, one who can make runs behind defenders. Who can thrive off Ozil.
Though I hate to say it, van Persie was good last night. He was provided with little to no service, but still conjured up a couple of decent opportunities and was a whisker away from becoming that difference between a draw and a win. We need to try and find such a guy in the summer. For now, we'll have to make do with what we have.
In the end, a draw was probably a fair result. We obviously wanted to win more, than United, but lacked the means to do so. However, we kept a clean sheet and it was a good thing psychologically.
This result leaves us in the second spot, as City's game was postponed. We now have to ready ourselves for another clash with Liverpool and then there will be a small matter of Bayern to keep us on our toes. As for me, I'll get back to you when something new pops up.
Until later