No easy draw for Arsenal unless lessons are learnt from their great escape
You just hope Arsenal have learned their lesson now. This was a remarkable act of escapology from a trap of their own making.
The Gunners were mightily impressive here in Athens. They entered a pressure-cooker atmosphere at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis and gradually reduced the heat from boiling point, so much so that a match which began with vociferous hostility ended with one of Arsenal’s players, Joel Campbell, receiving a standing ovation from those left inside the ground.
Of course, Campbell’s successful loan spell at Olympiakos was a contributing factor but every one of Arsenal’s players deserved to be applauded off after delivering one of their finest European performances amid the most exacting of circumstances.
There was no margin for error, yet Arsenal displayed wonderful maturity despite missing seven first-team players. They patiently worked their way into the game before scoring at regular intervals to extract all tension from the last 20 minutes.
The travelling supporters celebrated wildly at full-time and rightly so.
Arsenal were on the brink and yet they hauled themselves into the last 16 with conviction, authority and class. Manager Arsene Wenger described it as “the perfect performance”.
But here is the problem: they should never have been in this mess in the first place. Has qualification merely papered over the cracks concerning the shortfall in quality between Arsenal and Europe’s finest?
Monday’s draw could provide an opportunity for us to find out, with Real Madrid and Barcelona among five possible opponents. Atletico Madrid would also be a testing alternative but a tie against Zenit St Petersburg or Wolfsburg would pose an interesting question: have Arsenal now realised they cannot underestimate opponents who appear inferior on paper?
They beat Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos in their final two group matches to qualify by an aggregate score of 7-0. Watching Olympiakos look badly out of their depth like this, it was difficult to believe they won at Emirates Stadium back in September.
The same could be said of Zagreb, who beat the Gunners on matchday one. Those defeats put Arsenal on the back foot and they were simply down to negligence. Whatever Wenger’s protestations to the contrary, he underrated both opponents and nearly paid a devastating price.
"They will need more than luck. This result — as excellent as it was — should not mask the fact Arsenal must strengthen, ideally in January but if preferred players are unavailable then certainly next summer."
Theo Walcott told Standard Sport after the game that complacency had been an issue when facing Monaco last season, too. The 26-year-old England international, who often speaks with such refreshing candour, revealed, unprompted, that Arsenal “didn’t respect them at all” during their last-16 encounter.
That is a remarkable admission. It is also an insight into how Arsenal got themselves in to this situation in Group F. And it leads us on to the debate as to whether this squad have sufficient depth to trouble the elite.
With at least £80 million in the bank ready to spend on January 1 — and more liberal economists place that figure far higher — Arsenal should not be content with merely qualifying for the Champions League and then reaching the last 16, as they have done for the last five seasons.
That is, of course, an achievement many other clubs are rightly envious of but Arsenal’s pedigree, financial firepower and experience means higher targets should be identified.
If Arsenal draw Wolfsburg or Zenit, they will be favourites to progress but must treat the occasion with the same gravity they did here in Greece. If they draw one of the competition’s leading lights, they must prove capable of displaying the same mixture of maturity and quality.
“It will make us stronger and strengthen the belief of the squad,” said Wenger. “It is a special night for us because we were in escape mode. We needed something special and when you deliver something special it can create positive memories for the rest of the season. Maybe it’s a lucky year for us in the Champions League.”
They will need more than luck. This result — as excellent as it was — should not mask the fact Arsenal must strengthen, ideally in January but if preferred players are unavailable then certainly next summer.
If this group stage has taught us anything, it is that Wenger’s declaration there were no outfield players in Europe available to improve his squad is misguided at best and downright ridiculous at worst.
The biggest positive was their mental approach to this challenge. So often, Arsenal have frozen in the big moments — particularly in this competition — leaving themselves with an impossible task they so nearly pull off, only to fall short. Everybody knows the narrative. They put themselves behind the 8-ball again but this time had the composure and skill to complete the required trick shot.
This was evidence they can handle the pressure better. We will know for certain early next year but the fact they are in the last 16 after a test like this is a sign of progress in that regard.
Of course, there are players still to return but the thought remains more is needed all round to scale the ultimate heights.
ArticleNo easy draw for Arsenal unless they learn from their great escapeArsenalChampions LeagueArsene WengerNo easy draw for Arsenal unless lessons are learnt from their great escapeArsene Wenger: Maybe it's Arsenal's lucky year in the Champions LeaguePublishedImageMedium width4Thursday, December 10, 2015 - 10:54Mount Olympus: Gunners win 3-0 in Athens to secure place in the last 16On