Terrace Talk Arsenal: Slick Arsenal marrying class with composure

A big thank you to the Irons since dropping two points at the Hawthorns didn’t seem quite so disappointing as it might have done if Spurs drubbed West Ham.

Moreover, after going in at the break a goal behind against West Brom, it felt far more like a point gained, than two lost.

The Gunners were always at risk following the neutering of Napoli in midweek, with a scintillating 15-minute spell of football, which was as wonderful as anything we’ve savoured for some time.

Most pleasing on Tuesday night was the way we set about our Champions League opponents at such a high tempo, with an intensity which resulted in us blowing away Benitez’s side without them having barely had a kick of the ball. By contrast, we appeared to lack the same high adrenaline levels going into the game yesterday, with some perhaps guilty of reading too much into the extravagant flattery of the recent media hype.

Instead of setting about the home side, determined to put them under the cosh, I got the distinct sense we were guilty of waiting for the game to come to us. In the absence of this high-energy, fast-paced opening, the sort that could have silenced the home crowd and put their team on the back-foot, Berahino and Amalfitano required no further encouragement to ruffle a few more prima-donna feathers.

Yet all credit to le Gaffer and his stubborn tendency to stick to his guns because if football management was a democratic process, the vast majority of us Gooners would’ve given Jack Wilshere a clip around the ear at half-time, consigning him to the bench to give our midfield prodigy time to get his head straight. Who knows whether the distractions of the overblown “fag-gate” saga were to blame, or whether this was just symptomatic of Wilshere being found wanting for the necessary blinkered focus on his football?

Nevertheless, despite it being obvious that Jack doesn’t enjoy being asked to do a job out on the left flank and although his effort on goal would’ve ended up going straight down the goalie’s throat if it wasn’t for a fortunate deflection, Wilshere was responsible for dragging us back into the match after the break. Not to mention conjuring up the deliciously perfect pass that might’ve resulted in Giroud scoring the winner.

Yet we mustn’t forget that we had Anelka’s profligacy in front of goal to thank. In days of yore, you could have bet your shirt on the prolific French striker finding the back of the net and bagging all three points for the Baggies. Moreover, despite the contrast in the verve and vigour of our midweek victory, compared to yesterday’s somewhat flat-footed display, even when we were undone at the back, the Gunners continued to display the composure we’ve accrued in recent weeks and this bodes well for the campaign.

Meanwhile, with Walcott confined to the treatment room for the time being, young Serge Gnabry appears to be our only natural wide-man. There’s no doubt we look a far more resilient outfit with both Flamini and Arteta offering protection in front of the back four. But this leaves Wenger with a bit of a conundrum, perming three players from our glut of talented midfielders when all of them possess the instinctive tendency to want to play through the middle.

Still our hard-earned point at the Hawthorns was sufficient to take us into the international lull sitting pretty atop the league table.