Matchday Musings: Sunderland lose But Aren’t Outgunned By Arsenal
· Yahoo Sports
Two things are often true simultaneously in football.
“I’m proud and disappointed,” said Régis Le Bris when asked to give his post-match summation of a game that was within our grasp, albeit greasy, before an Enzo Le Fée missed penalty proved costly, in what was otherwise a tremendous display from Sunderland.
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It was an evening defined by that irking feeling of wondering “what if”. If there was ever an advert for taking your chances when they presented themselves, this was it – playing out on the biggest JCDecaux advertising hoarding in the Premier League.
The English champions arrived on Wearside boasting a 100% winning record, in what has been an immaculate start to their title defence.
Under the illuminating beams that give the Stadium of Light its name, this was a repeat of last season’s meeting with North London’s finest, in setting anyway.
In the build-up, we were promised a new iteration of the Gunners, Arsenal 2.0: last season’s bugs fixed, a smoother, easier-on-the-eye interface, and Arteta’s turtlenecks slicker than ever before.
In reality, we just got served up more of the same, as Gabriel piggybacked Brian Brobbey, his heat map imitating, step-by-step, our number 9’s. Arteta gesticulating at the ref and fourth official over every tackle, corner and throw-in – the antithesis of our Reggie.
Of course, this was Arsenal reverting to type. Perhaps not because they wanted to, but rather out of necessity.
From the off, we were brilliant, matching Europe’s elite stride for stride, or rather, blow for blow.
“We had to overcome a really tough opponent in a difficult place,” admitted Arteta after the game.
“Sunderland can suffocate you and they decided to be really physical and very direct.”
While these were glowing assessments of our display, they provide little consolation in what was a game for the taking as far as we were concerned.
We contained our visitors for the most part. Defensively compact in shape, Dan Ballard, Kevin Danso and Nordi Mukiele were largely monumental at the back, effectively thwarting Arsenal’s attacking threats and limiting the Gunners to mostly half chances.
Granit Xhaka and Le Fée continued in the same, classy vein at our heart, while we utilised Brobbey, Nilson Angulo and Thomas Meunier, albeit to a lesser degree, to hit Arsenal on the counter.
Angulo was unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty after he was brought down by Gabriel inside the box, but it was adjudged to be too soft for the VAR officials presiding over the game.
Our second half was even better than our first, as we pinned Arsenal in their sharpie-yellow strips back, forcing them to delve deep into their defensive credentials that last term’s title-winning campaign was built on.
While Le Fée’s penalty represents another example of two things being true at once: a penalty missed, and a penalty well-saved – it will, deservedly or not, be the reference point for a string of opportunities we failed to capitalise on.
Twice was Mukiele denied. Once by another outstanding save from David Raya, and another where we were guilty of overplaying it in their box. Never has the phrase “pull the trigger” been collectively yelled by so many.
Brobbey often cut an isolated figure as he shielded the ball off what appeared to be an entire Arsenal team at times. Ultimately, the hold-up play is only as good as the movement and runs it facilitates off it – arguably, one of the few negatives of our showing.
Once again, the introduction of Wilson Isidor allowed us a further, more agile focal point, with Malick Fofana’s home league debut providing us with greater width and potency out wide.
Ultimately, title-winning teams will find a way to win, and if merciless efficiency doesn’t bear fruit, then brutish force will. So, Arsenal’s resident thug, Brute-o Guimaraes, produced a rare moment of absolute brilliance to foil Robin Roefs as he launched a piledriver into the top corner.
As we probed to get back into the game, this was Arsenal territory now. Consolidating. Battening down the hatches. Spoil, defend, before reminding us that they have players like Bukayo Saka, who was set through on goal only to be fouled by Reinildo in the box.
With our left-back dismissed, Saka converted coolly from the spot to confirm all three points, embellishing a scoreline that flattered Arsenal and, understandably, left Le Bris and fans “disappointed”.
Games lost in this way are harder to swallow, but football is inherently unjust, and we know full well that you don’t always get what you deserve.
However, there is an abundance of positives to take from this display, and if there’s anything to draw away from it, it’s that we have it in us to be on an even footing with the country’s best.