Will the Chelsea match provide a spark for the rest of Arsenal’s season?

I don’t know about you but I’m still recovering from yesterday’s match. What a display by the Gunners from the 25 minute mark on. What looked like a total disaster actually became one of the club’s top performances this season.

Let’s discuss some of the individual performances…

Mikel Arteta – I questioned his line-up with Mustafi paired with Luiz. This proved to be a disaster for all the obvious reasons, however, the young manager stayed firm and convinced his 10 men they were still in the game. His substitutions made sense, and he should be commended for getting a point out of a very difficult situation at Stamford Bridge.

Gabriel Martinelli – I won’t go so far as calling Gabriel Martinelli the next Cristiano Ronaldo, however, I can tell you this, the lad is and will be a spectacular player for Arsenal. What he accomplished yesterday on his breakaway was pure gold. The question now becomes, what does Arteta do with him once Aubameyang comes off suspension? That will be interesting to watch.

Hector Bellerin – What a comeback for one of my favorite Arsenal players. After missing a lot of the season with injury, the Spaniard played his heart out and got the equalizer, and with his weaker foot. How about that!

Granit Zhaka – I never thought this would be said again, but in my opinion, Xhaka was my Man of the Match. After the Mustafi and Luiz disaster, Arteta moved the Swiss to center back, and he played the position with determination, and showed some skill as well. If this performance doesn’t score points with supporters, nothing ever will.

Bernd Leno – Once again, he kept us in the game. The German keeps getting better and better. He might have came off his line a little early when Mustafi got the whole mess started, but he recovered nicely after that fiasco was over and put in a solid performance.

The rest of the starting XI, and the subs, did their share as well to keep Arsenal in the game. I’ll give each of them a pat on the back, except for Mustafi and Leno. Mustafi’s pass back to Leno was beyond horrible, and Luiz’s effort to stop Abraham in the box was unnecessary. Yes, Abraham might have scored (or maybe not), but giving up a penalty shot and a earning a straight red card was way over the line and should have been avoided. These two guys in the core of our defense is a disaster waiting to happen every time, and once again, they did not disappoint.

So, what does all of this mean going forward? Well, as I have stated before, I would put my attention on winning the Europa League and the FA Cup.
A Europa League win qualifies us for the Champions League, while winning the FA Cup qualifies us for the Europa League next season. One way or the other, Arsenal needs European football next season. Why? It means more money for the club, and it helps attract better transfer opportunities in the summer. Not only that, can you imagine AFC not qualifying for a European competition?

Let’s hope yesterday’s dramatic draw with Chelsea helps provide an additional spark and more determination from our squad. That performance showed me what this team can accomplish when the chips are down. If Arteta could get them to rise to that level of professionalism every match, plus learn how to put teams away, then there might be some hope yet.

On to Bournemouth and a much needed win to advance in the FA Cup!

COYG!

Cheers. Gunner1953