Forget performance – Arsenal simply HAD to win!

I fully accept that Arsenal were far from their best in our latest Premier League game, but we did end up taking all three points off Sunderland in front of a relieved home crowd at the Emirates. To be honest, though, I really do not care too much how it was done, just that it was done.

It was a bit like when a striker is on a scoring drought and just needs a bit of luck, maybe the ball bouncing in off their backside or something. The Gunners simply had to stop the rot and bounce back from a nightmare month of November.

Arsene Wenger alluded to this and admitted that he was nervous ahead of the game and you could see that most of the players and the team in general felt the same. Somehow we managed it and that was a testament to the character in the team as well as some real quality. For me this was the key phrase from the manager’s post match interview on the Arsenal website.

He said, “It was our first game without the injured players and we absolutely had to win.”

Now if Arsenal continue to play like that it will not be good enough. We are not Man United. But if, as I expect, this result settles the side and allows us to get back to the fluency and balance that has been so impressive in the league this season, then the only thing that will be remembered from this game against Sunderland will be the three points and the end of a thankfully short winless run.

Do you think Arsenal are now back on track?

Tags Sunderland Wenger

5 Comments

  1. Off the subject…..Let`s just mention injuries! Eighty percent of injuries are to the lower limbs and most of these are ankles. The physio`s are great at running on (six at a time) with at least two females and there`s the usual fanfare as the player exists the field horizontal with more attendants than a hospital, but what else do these `experts` do.?
    Try preventing it?
    The boots worn today are more suited to a ballad dancer, the ankles are not strapped. The knees are not protected. How often does a player stop to fix his `boot`? Maybe these `so called experts should give some thought to protection and reducing injuries after all they`re are dealing with high priced pedigrees.

  2. Nothing wrong with that performance and winning against the likes of Man City and Chelsea.
    Not a lot good about struggling against or the defence being penetrated over and over by Sunderland despite winning. Too close because if we repeat that performance against teams with better attacking potent like an Everton, Stoke or big guns like Man City…we would lose. 3 points is 3 points in that game of course but play the same way we played against more talented opposition, they will capitalize better than Sunderland did.

  3. There were a lot of new faces in that line up. Considering they werent used to playing with each other they did a fine job.
    There is nothing wrong with the defence. We have the third best record in the Premier League. Stop being so negative.

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