Arsenal: not the time to panic by Jude
It was a devastating blow to our title challenge, no doubt. I was heartbroken. More heartbreaking was seeing my eight-year old daughter break down in tears after the final whistle was blown. We had joined the Emirates crowd in singing the “North London Forever” anthem with our usual fervent enthusiasm in the hope that Arsenal would continue their magical run. But that was not to be on Sunday.
It took quite sometime to get my distraught daughter consoled and collected. I reminded her how Arsenal have been giving us joy since the turn of the year, and that having won so many matches, it was not unusual for one to slip by us.
It was not the loss per se that was the issue, it was the approach of our lads to the game. Although losing 0-2 to Aston Villa at the Emirates at this stage of the season was quite disappointing, not putting up a fight, like it happened on Sunday, was even more shocking. We caressed the ball too much to the point of being lackadaisical sometimes; playing many passes at a spot without moving. We not only lacked our usual sharpness, we also lost our sense of competitiveness, played as if nothing was at stake and allowed Aston Villa to grow into the game and feel at home.
Anyway, like I told my daughter, it is not the end of the season. We still have six more matches to go and anything can still happen. This is football, never predictable. Who could have believed that Liverpool would lose at Anfield at this stage of the League to a Crystal Palace battling to barely keep their head above water? Indeed, anything can still happen with any of the three title contenders in their remaining matches. Nothing is cast in stone. The boys will have to put Sunday’s disappointment behind them and quickly regroup for the battles ahead. They must not allow their heads to hang low for too long or else results in the remaining matches of the season could even be more devaststing. That is the last thing they want.
We have been in this situation before, as recently as December of 2023 but we fought back and turned things around with the coming of 2024. We can do it again. The only option left for us now is to fight and fight till the end. We did not come this far to give up over one disappointment. I trust Mikel Arteta and the coaching staff to implement the necessary corrective measures before the next match.
As for the fans, we must do our part by rallying round the team and encourage them. Our lions have only been wounded and not decimated. They can fight back and regain their pride of place. But doing that will also depend partly on our reactions to such a setback as the one against Villa.
This is not the time to panic, it is the time to turn on the magic for a dramatic end of season that favours Arsenal. Yes, we can do it!
Jude Ndukwe sent this piece from Abuja, Nigeria
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