DEPLETED, NOT DEFEATED

PEDRO TAKES A PRAGMATIC VIEW OF TOUGH AFTERNOON

Arsenal did the job we needed from them: don’t lose to a Liverpool team that has been so good they broke the record for a Premier League start to the season.

“Don’t lose” sounds like cowardice. But it’s not. It’s a pragmatic view that removes some of the emotion going around after the game. We’re not going to lose the Premier League because we dropped two points at home to Liverpool. Leagues are lost getting pumped with double defeats to the Villa’s and Fulham’s of this world. Against the best team, don’t lose. Pick up an away win if you can.

Here’s the beautiful truth from yesterday.

We were depleted.

The refs were against us, again.

The players we had out were unfit.

… yet the defining characteristic of the game was how Liverpool’s near-best 11 was so utterly bland.

Arsenal controlled the game in all but two phases, during which we were punished. Our midfield was extremely dominant throughout. During the week, we critiqued having two duel-winners in a turgid midfield, but yesterday, they were monstrous. Declan Rice shone with his power, pace, and ability on the ball.

Thomas Partey, chasing a new deal, was stuck in at right back. It was his best game of the season. Someone compared him to Philipp Lahm. The man won 14 duels. He was everywhere—making smart decisions out of possession and making a difference defensively. It wasn’t always perfect, but it was good enough as 19th choice full-back.

The game got off to a flyer. Ben White knocked a route-one ball over the top of Andy Robertson, Bukayo won the footrace, clipped the ball inside the Scotsman, and roofed his strike like peak-Gabigol. A proper way to announce yourself after missing two consecutive games for the first time in 4 years.

We followed a familiar pattern after that: we sat back, tried to absorb pressure. We let Liverpool players take time to pick out long passes, and one of those caused Partey some trouble and he scooted the ball out for a corner. A little error that cost us big. Trent put a teasing ball into the front post, Kai missed the knocked-on header, VVD was in the box to put his head on it. Am I the only Arsenal fan who takes conceding from set pieces very personally? It’s like a man coming to your house party and taking the Blanton’s for a bourbon and Diet Coke.

The second half was always going to be a test of character—would we continue to retreat, or would we fix up and come out firing? We came out firing.

Arsenal were dominant, Liverpool were chasing shadows, we were in control. We took the lead when Dias made a foul about 30 yards from goal. Declan delivered the perfect cross to five players who ran offside to on; Merino, the big old Spanish lump, nodded in for his first Arsenal goal.

We continued to press for another goal. The game was going back and forth, but it felt like the momentum was with us. But, we did start to creak. First, we lost Big Gabriel M at the back, which meant Kiwior found his way onto the pitch for a massive game again. Then Timber succumbed to fatigue, and he was replaced by a baby.

It looked like it had paid off. MLS slipped Martinelli in, the Brazilian was in good shape, but he fluffed his lines. The counter was on, and Arsenal were wrecked by a defence that was nowhere. Darwin and Salah combined, and the inevitable pain of a Liverpool visit was administered. There was a cruel irony in conceding the first because we backed off and the second because we were balls out at the end.

Arsenal continued to push for a winner. Kiwior challenged for a 50/50, he won it, the ref watched the ball roll into the path of Kai Havertz, and just as it looked like he might score, he whistled meekly. Kai hit the post. Jesus scored the tap-in. The ref canceled it out. When you see the video in full frame, it really does look like the ref only wanted to blow if there was a chance Arsenal could score. Incredible stuff.

That was the end of the game, and there were three takeaways.

I’d Rather Be Arsenal

There’s this idea that if you’re a title contender, you can’t point to injuries. You can. This is sport. Arsenal should be able to survive losses to key players. We have done. But if you’re playing against a team with few injuries and you have a lot, it’s worth mentioning. We were missing Calafiori, we had Partey at right back, we had an unfit Timber, we didn’t have our captain, and we ended the game with someone we couldn’t shift to Palace and a teenager who had to go up against the best in the league… and we still looked far better than Liverpool.

The take here is this: We are about to see a whole bunch of very good players return to the squad. Merino will get better. Declan is now fit and ready. We’ll have Calafiori available soon. We are getting close to full fitness. If we can handle Liverpool depleted, that bodes well for our title push.

Liverpool Aren’t That Great

And things will get tough for them when they inevitably run into challenges as the Klopp magic fades and the reality of your three best players leaving hits.

Lady Luck

You feel like things ain’t been right for Arsenal this season because you only remember the residual emotion of not maxing out 3 points. Our choppy start is because we’ve been punished to extremes with injury, reffing decisions, and flukes. Luck always turns, and I think ours will over the next few weeks.

Reffing Disgrace

This one might be hopeful—but I think we’re getting to a point so absurd with the unfair reffing against us, something will have to happen at the very highest levels.

VVD was not even carded for lashing out aggressively twice at Kai Havertz. Why?

Liverpool players were not carded for kicking the ball away at the same ground we’ve seen players sent off. Why?

Clear penalties are not being given that’d be given against us over and over again. Why?

The ref waited to see if Kai could score before blowing up for a 50/50 foul. Why did he do that?

The spirit of the rules is to assume that mistakes just happen, but we’re fast moving into a territory where it’s clear we’re not being reffed by the same rules and standards as everyone else (not true, Wolves are reffed horribly as well). I don’t think this is a subjective view. We’re objectively being discriminated against. If you are consistently mistreated and it can be proved—in any walk of life—be it employment, by a hospital, or as a consumer, there are legal remedies. No club has done it in the past, but it does feel like we’re in a new era in the Premier League. There has to be accountability for horrible performance.

Concluding Thoughts

The start to the season has been rough, but I’m feeling increasingly confident that if we get through the next two games with six points, we’re going to be in really good shape. We’ve played important away days and done well. We’ve navigated Man City with 10 men—and we should have won. We’ve beaten Spurs and Villa. We are doing this without key players. When they return, we’ll escape the luck rut and start racking up points. We just need to be within striking distance come the new year.

Keep the faith. We’re still on track. Don’t listen to the catastrophizers. x

LIVERPOOL - ON THE WHISTLE