It was a joke that Mikel Arteta might not have made had the game gone any other way. The Arsenal manager was asked about his overconfidence in his players, as Tottenham fired cross after cross into the box in pursuit of an unlikely draw. “Sure… I was getting a little suspicious in the last few minutes!”
If not, Arteta would not be human. Everyone knew Arsenal’s title challenge came in those final few minutes. They went through with it, as Arteta ensured his squad “gave me no reason to doubt”.
Of course many can point to how last season ended, and the manager himself pointed to the difference in perception of how these games went in the run-in to last season.
“When you win, that’s always the case. Last season, we didn’t, because we went to West Ham and we missed a penalty… In the end, the decision will be based on that result. If “If Spurs had scored in the last minute to make it 3-3, we wouldn’t have been ready. The margin is too small.”
And yet there is one significant difference between this season and the last. A space that is a clear sign of growth and maturity. Arsenal have taken more points in their last three games (nine) than they did in all of their previous April matches.
This is all the more impressive given the nature of these games. Away to Wolves, Chelsea were seen as understandably fraught fixtures at home and at home to Tottenham which could similarly undercut Arsenal’s title challenge. Instead, they have come through all of them. It was actually surprisingly comfortable… at least until the last 15 minutes against Spurs. Then they too went through it.
This raises a question about this run-in, which is very clear to see now. Was it better to go through the match the way they did against Spurs, losing a 3-0 lead, rather than winning it easily? Arteta clearly didn’t want the team or David Raya to suffer the mistake that led to Christian Romero’s goal – “it puts the wrong message in your head”, as he put it – but so deeply Digging reveals something. More in a team.
It’s not like last season, either, when Arsenal went through a much more emotional finish. It was more of a gesture than that. You can see it in the reaction, Bukayo Saka blowing his cheeks on TV, the crew hugging, the whole squad running away.
“I don’t know. We’re going to make it so the second option is very good,” Arteta said. “Players can be more persuasive. We’ve done it here two years in a row, which is extremely difficult. Last year too we had to come from behind to win the game in the second half. so great. The team has another tool. Something else to hold on to is the confidence that you are capable of winning when it comes to the biggest stage in the big games. So it’s good education.”
This is also a good feeling. It can propel a team forward.
If all of this sounds like an excessive focus on psychology, that’s because there is mental toughness at this point in the title race. Clichés are actually true. You really just have to work. This game was a case in point.
Arsenal are usually praised for how they control games and keep opposition sides at arm’s length, but Spurs nailed both of those qualities here. They made him very uncomfortable. Arsenal dug in. Arsenal must beat Spurs because they have made set pieces such a virtue this season.
Ange deserves credit from Postecoglou for how he came back to make it 3-2, but he should not escape criticism for the manner in which he lost the game. Elements of it, from the movement of Ben White to the way Arsenal approached Spurs, were entirely predictable. Postecoglou had two weeks to prepare for it. The worst set pieces were the defense. Postecoglou raised eyebrows when asked if he had seen a trend in the area.
“No because it’s understanding where you are as a football team,” he said. “If I thought fixing the defensive set pieces was the answer to filling our gaps, I would put all my time and effort into that. But that’s not where we are.
“For us, it’s … not just set-pieces but a lot of moments in games where we don’t realize that if you give good opposition time and space to work, they’re going to hurt you.
“I think they probably had four attempts on goal in the first half and [we] Three admitted. I don’t think it’s about one part of it, I think it’s the bigger picture, but our defensive set pieces for both of them. [goals] were very poor. But there’s a lot more to fix than that.”
It is not difficult to think that it is relatively easy to work on. He has helped Arsenal close a void.
They are sometimes joked by their own players about being “set piece FC”, but this has made them a more serious title challenger.
There is now the possibility that both Arsenal and Manchester City just won their remaining games, leaving the Gunners just one point behind their title rivals. This will not be an indictment of Arsenal. They have already taken it further than last season.
They have found hope. And instead of taking a three-goal lead, most of his hope came from seeing out the match at 3-2.
Credit : www.independent.co.uk