Arsenal win another big game: Is it getting better?
For a long time now weâ€ve collectively lamented Arsenalâ€s failure to cope with the big occasion. After the stirring win at Old Trafford, the question begs: are things finally improving?
For me, United is the definitive big game. Perhaps itâ€s because I grew up amid the red-hot rivalry of the late 90s. United were so dominant in that era, and those clashes were always infused with tension, drama and spite. Even taking in to account neighbours Tottenham and Chelsea, there isnâ€t a game in the fixture-list that inspires more nerves or animosity. Old habits die hard, and old hatreds endure.
I saw someone compare Monday nightâ€s game to Ali vs. Frazier in 1975: two former greats, evenly matched but now hurting each other all too easily. Itâ€s a nice line, but one that doesnâ€t reflect the trajectory of the two sides. While United do appear to be a team in decline, there are some signs that Arsenal might be on the way up.
There are indications that Arsene Wengerâ€s men are beginning to conquer their crippling stage-fright. After all, Monday nightâ€s win comes just a couple of months after another landmark victory at the Etihad.
Itâ€s not been a complete reversal of fortunes. Defeats against Tottenham and Monaco show there is still plenty of room for improvement. However, itâ€s undoubtedly progress: last season, Arsenal would probably have lost all four of those games.
In the wake of such a significant win, thereâ€s a tendency to assume that our problems are now permanently behind us. “Thatâ€s itâ€, we think. “Now weâ€ll win every big game and be title contenders once againâ€.
Iâ€m not sure itâ€s that simple. Weâ€re turning the corner, but it’ll take more than a single step. Itâ€s generally agreed that our problems are psychological as well as strategic. Improvements in the latter are soothing the former: each big win has tactical and therapeutic benefits. For the first time in a long time, it feels as if we might be learning something.
Weâ€re not yet where we need to be. As the Monaco game showed, Arsenal are far from over the big-game jitters. However, we are certainly making positive progress.
On Danny Welbeck…
From the minute the possibility of Danny Welbeck moving to Arsenal was mooted, I fantasised about his scoring the winner at Old Trafford. He must have done so too, and that probably goes some way to explaining his joyous celebration on Monday night. He certainly had a point to prove to the manager who jettisoned him after a matter of months in Manchester.
As Welbeckâ€s shot hit the net, Louis Van Gaalâ€s flat face glowed red with embarrassment, leaving him looking like a cartoon thumb throbbing after being hit with a mallet.
Even if Welbeck never does anything hugely significant in an Arsenal shirt again, heâ€ll be remembered for this night. This, if you like, was his ‘Arshavin momentâ€.
However, Iâ€m hopeful that thereâ€s a lot more to come from the Englishman. That goal effectively closed one chapter in his career, but should mark the true beginning of a bright new one.
ps. If you haven’t yet, do check out the Arsecast Extra for more luxurious basking.