Arsenal left the Stadium of Light as victors after a turgid affair with a resurgent Sunderland side. Arsenal never really looked on top form, failing to maintain a fluid passing rhythm against a Sunderland side who seemed content with a draw. Oddly, despite the presence of the likes of McClean, Sessegnon and Campbell, Sunderland rarely threatened going forward, a real failure on O’Neill’s part as they could have really gave Arsenal a run for their money.

Tactical Praise

The first half was a case of Sunderland having an answer for any question Arsenal seemed capable of posing. O’Neill knows how to organise a team and the first half was a dire affair, not helped by a pitch that looked like it had held a midnight Weight Watchers rave. The second half gave us a glimpse of something that we have rarely seen in recent years, clever tactical substitutions from Wenger, granted though that the first one was forced.

Mertesacker was stretchered off with what was confirmed later as suspected ligament damage and Wenger replaced him with Aaron Ramsey, dropping Song in to defence. This changed the shape of the team into more of the 1-2 in midfield we played at the start of the season, with Arteta acting as a pivotal defensive midfielder. This helped the team apply more pressure on Sunderland and the extra attacking body of Ramsey brought our first goal with a tricky finish from the Welshman.

The other two changes were Arshavin and Henry on for Chamberlain and Walcott. Chamberlain hadn’t looked as dangerous as in previous games, something we have to expect from an 18 year old, consistency usually takes years to establish. Walcott has look as blunt as before his decent run of form in recent weeks. The surprising thing was our little Arshavin, he actually looked like the player who we believed could make something out of nothing, rather than nothing out of something. A great cross for Van Persie was soon followed by an inch-perfect cross for the winner, converted by Thierry Henry. What can you say about his return to the club? 3 shots on target and 3 goals, two of them winners in vital games, is proof enough that Wenger was indeed right about bringing him back.

Dynamic Trio

Rosicky again started in the more forward role of the midfield trio and put in a great performance. He has the ability to pop up everywhere on the pitch. His knack for a 1-2 pass and tackling ability make him a perfect fit there and it makes me all the more regretful that bizarre injury robbed him of his prime. Song was kept busy with Sunderland’s pace on the counter attack and dealt with it very well. The stand out performer, however, was Mikel Arteta. With 116 passes in the game, 76 more than the closest Sunderland player, and a 94% accuracy he just keeps adding to his already excellent season. It would be hard to exaggerate the impact he’s had at the club and his ability to retain possession should prove vital in Wednesday’s tie against the dominant Milan midfield. In one season, he’s worked himself into the upper echelons of Europe’s midfield with the fourth highest passes per game average of 80.8, behind Xavi, Xabi Alonso and Pirlo.

Vital Points

With Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle all finding themselves on the end of defeats , these were a vital three points for Arsenal. The ‘mental strength’ that Wenger appears to adore so much was certainly on show, Arsenal have now recovered more points after finding themselves on the losing end away from home than any other team this season. The back four looked capable of dealing with Sunderland’s threat and the return of Sagna is a massive boost. The return of Gibbs I hold with trepidation, for obvious reasons, but hopefully we can see the defensive partnership of Vermaelen and Koscielny that we have been crying out for.

Another fairytale moment from Thierry Henry grabbed the 3 points today. Attention must now turn to Wednesday, the worry is having to toil the entire game on a pitch like that will take its toll on the players. Hopefully the pace and directness of Chamberlain and Walcott, something that has proved time and time again vital in Europe, will give us the edge in the San Siro.

Note: At the time of writing, Aaron Ramsey has claimed his latest victim by scoring another goal. RIP Whitney Houston.

Latest: