Wednesday 4 January 2017 12:05, UK
Arsenal came from three down to salvage a 3-3 draw at Bournemouth but was the point enough to encourage the idea that the Gunners can finally win the Premier League title? Not really, argues Adam Bate.
"I know they played two days ago but that is not an excuse," said Arsenal legend Thierry Henry watching on from the Sky Sports studio at half time. "They are not at it. I know it's not easy, I've been there. But you have to find a way to win. Big teams find a way to win."
Arsenal did at least find a way to draw, coming back from three down to clinch a dramatic point in stoppage time. It was a stunning comeback and will do much to stave off the more severe criticism that was brewing throughout much of the evening. But questions remain.
"The question is why they didn't start like that," added Henry afterwards. "If you want to win the league you have to make sure you win at these places. The bottom line is that you didn't put any pressure on Chelsea to go to White Hart Lane tomorrow."
Bournemouth started the stronger right from the kick off. In the opening half an hour they covered more ground and made more sprints, had more possession and played more passes. In short, Arsenal were not only outworked but outplayed.
While Bournemouth were impressive, Arsenal were culpable. It was poor communication between Hector Bellerin and Aaron Ramsey that Charlie Daniels punished for the opener. It was Granit Xhaka who needlessly conceded a penalty for a push on Ryan Fraser soon after.
Shkodran Mustafi stopped a third goal before the break with a smart tackle on Josh King and even managed to extend his unbeaten run in an Arsenal shirt to 18 games. Olivier Giroud was the principle figure in that - providing two assists before heading the Gunners level.
But while Giroud deserves credit for his role in the comeback and Mustafi's return should strengthen Arsenal once more, focusing on individuals feels misleading when it is Arsenal's culture under scrutiny. Do they have what it takes as a group to go all the way this year?
"We showed great mental strength," Giroud told Sky Sports afterwards, while Ramsey pointed to the "character" shown. But character is part of the concern. To their credit, the two men got the tone right in appreciating that three points were needed not one.
Wenger preferred to accentuate the positive. "With 20 minutes to go we were 3-0 down and it was a mental test," he told Sky Sports. "We refused to lose the game and gave absolutely everything. There's a great resilience in the team and we saw that again."
He could also have pointed to the foul on Bellerin in the build-up to Bournemouth's third, Fraser appearing guilty of precisely the sort of push for which Xhaka was punished. And there was the issue of the recovery time afforded his team by the fixture schedule.
"It was a physical test and we had some trouble getting out of the blocks," he added. "The disadvantage is too big. We played against a team that had three-and-a-half days of rest and we played on Sunday afternoon. It's too big a handicap at the start."
It's a point worth making, but Arsenal supporters will be hoping that the excuses offered in public are not the overriding messages being sent to these players in private. For while fatigue in the legs is part of the problem, fatigue around the club could be the bigger issue.
For it would be an error for anyone of an Arsenal persuasion to believe that just because this might be a case of 'same old Arsenal' they can expect the same old outcome of a top-four finish. Such is the competition at the top end of the table, Wenger cannot count it.
Chelsea have won 13 in a row but the recent form of the rest is almost as impressive. Manchester United are on a run of six wins and Tottenham have won their last four. Most of the Premier League's strongest sides are responding as the race intensifies.
Liverpool are unbeaten in six and while there has been much talk of Pep Guardiola feeling the pressure, it's worth remembering that his Manchester City side did win with 10 men last time out - their fourth victory in five, including picking up three points against Arsenal.
It's the Gunners who have been closer to cracking, Giroud's equaliser avoiding the ignominy of suffering three consecutive away defeats for the first time since 2010. They are still the only top-six team to lose one of their last half a dozen games to a side outside that group.
In the past, the slip ups have not stopped Wenger's team finishing among the top four. But with the Champions League returning next month with a double header against Bayern Munich, there appears more chance of Arsenal being distracted than most of their rivals.
A dramatic draw was some way to start the year. Remarkable but typical, it encapsulated Arsenal. And yet, they might yet be left hoping the season ends in similarly familiar fashion too. Otherwise this could well be the time that their weaknesses are finally punished.
