For the first time in a long while I sat pitch side at the
Emirates last night: row 2 to be exact, an interesting perspective on the game
as I generally sit upstairs. What struck me was the pace and control of our
midfield against a rather flatfooted Liverpool side. At times it was 5-a-side
stuff out there as Rosicky, Carzola, Ramsey and Ozil, ably assisted by Arteta,
bossed the middle of the park. This was a midfield with Walcott,
Oxlade-Chamberlaine, Flamini, Wilshere and the promising Gnabry absent and perhaps
therein lays one of the keys to our excellent league form. A squad that is
certainly on the thin side has an abundance of players in the centre of the
park (I haven’t mentioned Diaby as unfortunately his career seems to be on
permanent standby).
The back four look increasingly confident and our keeper,
one aberration aside, looks to be a proper player now. Giroud may lack the
clinical qualities of an Ageuro, Suarez or Van Persie but he gives us an out
and has a work ethic that has been remarkably team based, he causes other teams
problems and is growing in stature.
Come the final whistle you could see what the elusive clean
sheet meant to the defence as they embraced in victory and a defence with
belief is the foundation of a good team; these players seem to have a growing
belief that they can shut out opponents now.
The atmosphere at the Emirates continues to improve and
there were genuine rumblings of content as the stadium emptied at the final
whistle.
Questions keep being asked and at the moment we are
responding in the league. Those same questions are still floating about in
regard to Europe so the next game against Dortmund is another opportunity to
take a step in the process of answering those questions with a hearty “yes, we
can”
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so I said...