Arsenal Fan View: Gunners can get the job done like champions

To call that ‘exhilarating’ would be an understatement as well as a bit of an offensive statement against John Moss’s best efforts to make a routine game very exciting. Arsenal just about got away with three points against Burnley for the second time this season and here are the main takeaways from the crazy game at the Emirates.

Alexis Sanchez is dangerously following a path of history averse to Arsenal fans

The contract situation for the Chilean is well known and a source of great tension amongst the Arsenal loyalists. And despite not admitting to it at first, the manner in which Alexis is going about this season, growing his stake in the European transfer market with every game, I find it hard not to equate it with things transpired before.

Arsenal fans have seen their main man leave too many times now not to notice the signs the season before. No matter the times changing and the club keeping hold of its bigger names, the jitters will remain until ElNiño Marvilla signs a new deal. His performances are beyond praise now and it is his energy which also seems to be rubbing off on Mesut Özil, with the pair now being called ‘Alexil’ and ‘Möxis’.

Arsène Wenger’s need for another quiet January on transfer terms would be perfectly okay with the fans was he to conclude it with the all important signatures of his two main talismans. That is, after he’s done paying his fine for being sent off.

Arsenal do know how to do it the dirty way

Every time a supposed title contender grinds out a victory where they really should have dropped points, the usual saying of “That’s a mark of Champions” comes up. The regularity of its use has diluted its entire point and essentially lost meaning of the phrase.

Arsenal, though, are never really associated with the phrase given the regularity with which they disappoint their fans by dropping points where really shouldn’t. So, when Sanchez was the coolest man on the pitch today, it sent most of us into a dilemma as to how had Arsenal not choked on this glorious opportunity as they are so used to.

The spine of the side has been consistently under the scope and rightly so, and yet, the main men of the team were at it today, giving it their all and throwing themselves into challenges. What, if not that, is a mark of a team that really wants to achieve something special? Champions maybe a long shot, agreed, but today (as well as the return fixture vs Burnley) told us that Arsenal do know how to get the job done the dirty way.

The standard of refereeing is degrading by the week

My memory of referees is not particularly good. Beyond Mike Dean, Mark Clattenburg and Kevin Friend, I really can’t tell which one is which in the Premier League games. And yet, John Moss has found his way into my memory for all the wrong reasons. For the second time this season, he has sent off Granit Xhaka in the EPL.

Needless to say, both decisions were contextually debatable and most of times have seen other players get off with a simple yellow. However, over the years it has become common habit for the refs to pick out players with colored histories and react according to that. Be it for Gabriel Paulista, Diego Costa, and even Victor Wanyama, the officials tend to be too easy to go to red just because these are ‘easier targets’.

If that makes you believe I’m too partial, how about the non-offside for Laurent Koscielny in both games vs Burnley this season? And tens of other cases which cause weekly debates as to when will Football finally give way to sense and get video refereeing. Because if this is how things continue, we might as well start tossing the coins to decide games altogether.