An incredibly competitive North London Derby was won by a determined, passionate, and resolute Arsenal team where if Hugo Lloris hadn’t had such an inspired performance, it could have ended with a much more one-sided score line.
A fantastic team performance against a team with some genuine quality creates the feeling that with maybe two or three top quality signings, there could be a very promising season ahead for Arsenal.
Flamini’s back
An impressive second-half performance from Mathieu Flamini assures Arsenal fans that Arsene Wenger certainly does know what he’s doing, despite dithering in the transfer market.
Flamini was a strong presence in the defensive midfielder role, and looks to be an astute free transfer by Wenger. It looked as if Flamini had some respect to regain from the Arsenal fans and played like he was determined to do so.
He stayed out over half time training and getting into ‘the zone’, essential for a game such as this where he could be left behind if he wasn’t up to speed. Whereas the Ramsey-Wilshere pivot looked fairly unstable and defensively weak in the first half, the Ramsey-Flamini pivot looked much stronger.
Does the result paper over cracks?
While it was a great result for Arsenal to put their North London counterparts back into their place, often referred to as being in their shadow, Wenger desperately needs to bring in some players on transfer deadline day tomorrow, in order to challenge for top four and trophies.
Aaron Ramsey in his post-match interview suggested the last 20 minutes could have been helped by substitute additions, and I’m sure Arsene Wenger knows this. I believe tomorrow and tonight are likely to be very busy for the Arsenal manager.
The result showed that despite the club being laughed at and abused over the summer, there is still genuine quality at the club. I feel there will be one or two additions tomorrow, the size and quality of those transfers remain unknown.
A missed opportunity in the transfer window
I still feel that tomorrow will be an attempt by the club to limit the damage of what has been a devastating summer for Arsenal fans. If it were up to me, I’d have moved for Julio Cesar or Asmir Begovic, Mamadou Sakho before he joined Liverpool, Marouane Fellaini, and Wayne Rooney. This business would have been done months ago, ready for a positive start to the season, rather than a humiliating open day defeat to Aston Villa.
Tomorrow will be a fascinating day for the neutrals, and a day where many Arsenal fans will be glued to various news outlets on their computers and Sky Sports News. Whether the club can salvage a shocking summer will remain to be seen.
In Arsene Wenger’s post match interview today he said on the subject of transfers “maybe we will have a surprise for you”, music to our ears or just getting our hopes up? I hope and believe the former, optimistic thinking perhaps.
Regardless, today showed that despite being low on numbers, the first team squad has quality that Arsenal fans often take for granted. A derby where Tottenham fans where gloating pre-match about what a walk over this game would be for them turned into them swallowing their pride and foregoing a celebratory drink after the game with the sound of delighted Arsenal fan’s chants ringing in their ears as they rush home.
In a summer where Arsenal fans have been so divided over topics such as transfers and board problems, it’s good that on a day like today all Arsenal fans can come together to revel in laughing at Tottenham as they return to their side of North London, in Arsenal’s shadow once again.
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