Tottenham defeat was a buzz kill

It’s been 24 hours and I have emotionally recovered from Arsenal’s derby debacle at Tottenham. It was such a buzz kill.

During a match that saw the Gunners control possession 63% of the time, there was a lot of expectations for the squad to find a second goal and pull off a north London derby win, however, another set piece goal by our opponents sealed the deal. Arsenal lead the Premier League in allowing set piece goals this season. Actually, 45% of the goals scored against AFC in league play has been from set pieces. Truly, a depressing stat.

Once again, two defensive lapses cost the Gunners another chance for 3 points. Now, with the Champions League ban against Manchester City lifted, Arsenal’s chances for European action next season have gone from slim to very slim. The club needs to climb in the table from 9th to at least 6th place in the next three league games to qualify for the Europa League play-in matches. The Gunners will need 9 points, and a lot of help from other clubs to have a chance. Or, our lads need to win the FA Cup.

Kudos to Emiliano Martinez for playing yet another terrific match between the pipes. Along with Kieren Tierney, Martinez are my Arsenal Men of the Match.
Honorable mention kudos go to Alexandre Lacazette for the wonder strike he had in the first half to give the Gunners a brief lead in the match.

Okay, now let me eat some crow. Just a few days ago I wrote a glowing post giving Shkodran Mustafi a big pat on the back. Today, I would like to give both Mustafi and David Luiz a big kick in the butt. It seems no matter how well they play, eventually and ultimately, one or both will make a monumental mistake that leads to a goal, or even goals. Obviously, this problem needs to be sorted out in the short off season. Maybe, William Saliba and Pablo Mari teaming up in the back could be the answer for next season.

And, of course, there is one stat we can not over look. This season, versus the perennial Premier League top 5 teams (Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man United and Tottenham), Arsenal has 1 win, 3 draws and 3 defeats. That is 6 of a possible 27 points, and a -8 goal differential. This is one of the reasons the Gunners are currently in the middle of the PL pack in 9th place.

So, with all of that said, Arsenal play host to Premier League champions Liverpool on Wednesday, followed by Saturday’s FA Cup semifinal v Manchester City. The matches don’t get easier, and the results don’t become less important. This is do or die time for Arsenal. As they say..it’s now or never.

Cheers, and stay healthy and safe!

Gunner1953