Arsenal’s dream machine

Sunday, 30/10/2011

by Richard Leighton, Shoot's Arsenal blogger

If you can’t enjoy the spectacle that was Arsenal’s game with Chelsea on Saturday then you’re clearly watching the wrong sport. And if Gooners didn’t enjoy it, they’re definitely supporting the wrong club.

Beating Chelsea by five goals to three at Stamford Bridge was so much more than three points to our fans, to our players and the manager. The jubilant scenes at the final whistle showed how much this meant to us.

We got a glimpse of what we just might be capable of when we click going forward. When Theo Walcott is on form, when Robin van Persie is fit and when we have at least one good centre back on the pitch – that being the outstanding Laurent Koscielny.

I have mentioned in previous blogs about the need to accept our defending will probably never improve to the degree we would like, so it’s all about making our attack as potent as possible.

Think Newcastle United back in the late 1990s under Kevin Keegan, a side renowned for its fire power and inability to keep a clean sheet. Sure, they missed out on the league title but they played to their strengths and kept to their ‘if you score two, we’ll score three’ philosophy.

In my opinion, that won’t win you titles but it will win you games, supporters, and possibly the odd trophy. Now, I’m not saying our attack is the most fearsome in the Premier League because it’s not. But it is improving and as the post Fabregas and Nasri era continues, players like Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey and Gervinho are beginning to gel.

For Arsenal, it’s all about getting some kind of consistency, taking it one game at a time and rebuilding the confidence that was shattered on ‘That Sunday’ at Old Trafford earlier in the season.

I’m not blind to the fact we could easily have been 2-0 down after five minutes against Chelsea and nor am I ignoring the same defensive frailties that continually haunt this team. But, like I said, if you can’t enjoy a victory like this then what’s the point?

At Arsenal’s AGM last week, Arsène Wenger game a rousing speech about sticking together, getting behind the team and reiterating his faith in the players he has. It really was spine-tingling stuff and it was obvious he believed every single word.

That’s one defeat in nine and five consecutives victories in all competitions. But it’s important we stay humble and be under no illusion there is still a lot of work to do to get near that top four.

Oh, and we should definitely invest in some kind of giant cotton wool cocoon in which to store the beyond priceless Robin van Persie.

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