Arsenal trudged off the field at the Allianz Arena a week ago, just like they did a year before, a beaten side. Once again though, they hadn’t lost, having drawn 1-1 – while last year they had won, 2-0, against the team that were to be German champions, German Cup winners and European champions, and who would finish the year as world champions. Never has ‘defeat’ been so invigorating as it was last year. The better team had won over the course of two games, but Arsenal were a side renewed, revitalised with four crucial missing ingredients which they had struggled to find all season, and indeed for many seasons; defensive organisation, tactical know-how, self-belief and confidence.
Since that evening Arsenal have played 54 games in all competitions. They have won an impressive 37 of those, drawing nine and losing eight. Meeting Bayern Munich again at the same stage of this year’s Champions League rounded off a year which has seen significant progress made by the north Londoners. When they walked onto the pitch at the Allianz Arena for last year’s second round second leg, they were 3-1 down on aggregate already. Out of both domestic cups, and seven points adrift of Tottenham they were looking unlikely to even be in Europe’s top competition again this year, let alone at the second round stage again, ready for a rematch with the world’s pre-eminent team.
Not only that, but Arsenal are two wins away from lifting the FA Cup, and more significantly, a point off Chelsea if they win their game in hand in a title race where all the leading contenders are falling over themselves to hand their rivals the initiative.
This year’s title race is particularly unpredictable. Manchester City have been assigned the role of jaguar, Chelsea describe themselves as the ‘little horse’. Liverpool, hurtling towards the top at breakneck speed, have proclaimed themselves the ‘chihuahuas’. It’s not so easy to think of an animal which Arsenal resemble, but there is one metaphor which springs to mind – a boomerang. No matter how hard you try to get rid of them, they keep coming back. Defeat to Stoke at the start of March had all the hallmarks of a typical Arsenal loss which delighted the sceptics. Victory over Tottenham on Sunday however was typical of Arsenal this season – defiantly ignoring predictions of their demise.
All year critics have waited for Arsenal’s season to fall apart. Barely a week goes by without it being declared a ‘defining one’ in their season. Defeat on the opening day of the season to Aston Villa led to their own fans seething furious rage at the team. Arsenal came back and launched a run which propelled them to the top of the league. Then they lost to Manchester United, yet came back and re-established a five-point lead in the title race. Their third defeat of the season, against Manchester City, and a subsequent draw at home to Chelsea had many ready to write their eulogies of another lost season. Once again, Arsenal fought back and went on a run of ten games unbeaten, including a succession of dogged victories without much of their customary style, before a crushing defeat to Liverpool.
A week later, Arsenal avenged the defeat to Brendan Rodgers’ side. It’s a sign that their squad is being tested to the full, and they have been unconvincing in recent weeks. That said, if one thing can be safely assumed it is that Arsenal will not be collapsing this year. There is a hardened edge to this team, from the reassuring assertiveness of Wojciech Szczesny in goal right through to the determined and non-stop running of Olivier Giroud. In defence, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker have formed arguably the league’s best central defensive partnership. Gary Cahill and John Terry may be many people’s choice for that role but they play in a reactive team, rather than a proactive one, and in such teams defending is fundamentally easier as the defence are much better protected, with less space between the last line of defence and goal. For Arsenal, Koscielny’s pace and anticipation keeps the door locked on speedy attackers whilst Mertesacker is an expert at anticipating low through balls and crosses and swiftly passing reliably to a team-mate to spring a counter attack.
This partnership has been the basis on which Arsenal’s improvement over the last twelve months has been built. It was the Bayern Munich game which saw Thomas Vermaelen dropped, and he has not returned to the position of first choice since. Only one game has been lost when both have played the full 90 minutes in that time, to a rampant Liverpool.
Going back to Munich again, there was something fitting about that night. It was typical of Arsene Wenger, of Arsenal. From what appeared an impossible position they found themselves on the brink of glory through a refusal to give in to the inevitable defeat they were told they faced. And Arsenal, more than any other team, are constantly being told they are not good enough, that they lack the savvy or depth of their rivals.
Jose Mourinho claimed recently that he would walk away from a team he went eight years without leading to a trophy. It is to Wenger’s great credit that he refuses to simply give in the way Mourinho apparently would, and continues to believe in his abilities, and in his team. It is why for all the valid explanations for Arsenal’s long spell without a trophy, the idea that the Gunners lacked mental strength was always ludicrous. A team are a reflection of their manager, and Wenger is nothing if not defiant. The mental strength has always been there in this team. Two years in a row they have fought back from seemingly impossible positions to reclaim a spot in the top four with late season surges.
A lack of organisation, defensive nous, tactical awareness, self-belief and confidence were all genuine failings until last year in Munich. Ever since Arsenal reclaimed those qualities, combined with their traditionally strong mentality, they are primed once again for an assault on honours. Mesut Ozil has reinforced self-belief, Mathieu Flamini bolsters defensive organisation. With the FA Cup a very attainable target now, Arsenal should be ending their trophy drought, although nothing can be taken for granted in that competition. Irrespective, they are still very much in a title race that many have them as fourth favourites for. Maybe that is justified, and they may be expected to collapse, but this Arsenal side and Wenger are too stubborn to allow that to happen. They may not win the title, but they certainly won’t be going away anytime soon.
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