Fatigue or Complacency? That is the question.

Morning all,

Arsenal 1-1 Fulham

On a day where our competitors for fourth place gained valuable three points Arsenal fans were treated to a highly disappointing result as they floundered a great opportunity. We failed to pick up three points we so desperately needed to continue our fine run.

I spoke yesterday of our need to ensure complacency didn’t creep into our game and I am afraid a combination of lethargy and complacency resulted in a largely inept performance. It was a match in which we never really looked threatened but neither did it look like we ever really got out of second gear. That is until Thomas Vermaelan put the ball into the back of the wrong net.

After this we suddenly looked like a team likely to score and a team who was willing to put themselves about for the good of the team. It is a bit sad that it took a goal to spur the team into action but it was nice to see Thomas Vermaelan have the character and tenacity to make amends for his earlier mistake.

So whilst it was disappointing we did not win or even work hard enough for the win there were positives after we conceded. There are two real lessons from yesterday’s game that all the players and manager must take on board immediately and come back stronger. We should have been aware that we cannot just turn up and expect to beat a team without really trying so we should ensure this never happens again. To stress the point have a look at the number of shots we made in the first 65 minutes and the last 25 minutes. There were only 10 attempts at goal before we conceded where as we in less than half of the time before we managed exactly the same amount. This highlights a shift in gears but really begs the question as to why exactly they didn’t do this before. 

 by Guardian Chalkboards

The second lesson that we all learnt yesterday was that the modern game is such that it is almost impossible to play every game without becoming fatigued. Although this had a contributing factor last night, it was not the most important factor as Wenger declared as they showed they had enough in the tank to be effective after the Fulham scored. Nevertheless it is something they will need to consider going into the future.

I did say we were due a bit of a blip yesterday but it is imperative we get right back up and keep moving forward. It is crucial the team bounce back and bounce back quickly. Our next opponents in the league will be desperate to get another victory to try and get out of the relegation zone but it is again a match we should win. Let’s hope the complacency we showed yesterday does not rear its ugly head again.

That'll have to do for today. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

GoonerVerse