UCL Review: Getting through November unscathed-almost

There’s probably a reason why Champions league match days are set in mid-week; we all need a pick-me up at this time and somehow coffee alone just does not cut it. The goal fest on Tuesday night was followed by an end to end encounter at the Emirates, which probably had one more ‘pick-me-up’ than was required.

In case it was not clear, I was talking about the goal conceded by the Arsenal defence in the second half, right around the time when they were supposed to be scoring at the other end. No matter how you read it, it was an own goal by Alex Iwobi. His last act on the night was surely not the graceful heard he would’ve liked, but it made sure Arsenal have as much chance of winning their group as Hillary Clinton does of demanding a recount (as if that would make things better). This would be the fifth year running that Arsenal will be finishing second best in the group stages of the Champions League and as many have already predicted, this means only one thing: Elimination by Barcelona in the next round.

There’s only one small issue with that prophecy, there are five other possible opponents for the English side given that the rules of the competition say the tournament should be played more than these two teams-or Bayern. In one of the fortunate turn of events this week, Arsenal in fact cannot play Bayern Munich anymore and so their remaining possible opposites are one of the following six: Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid/Borussia Dortmund, Juventus/Sevilla, Napoli/Benfica, Monaco and FC Barcelona. Over the years, Arsenal have proven to be completely unpredictable in the face of whoever they play in the round of 16. Be it throwing away the tie against Monaco two years ago or defeating Barcelona with an inspired Cesc Fabregas, it might be nice this time that while history may not be on the side of the Gunners, math still is.

Sadly though, the month of November really does not have any favor with the club. The curse of the winter month has long been advertised as the starting of the yearly downfall the Gunners suffer in their European and domestic campaigns and with good reason. The lowest win percentage in any month across all games and the lowest average points accumulated for Arsenal are both in November. This year it has turned out to be quite similar, with a little silver lining on the Gunners’ personal cloud. In all games this month, Arsenal have found a special something they always seem to lack. They started by winning a game from going two behind in Bulgaria which was followed by three consecutive ‘big’ game draws where they probably should have lost. The figure of DDD in their ‘last played’ column does not exactly scream progress, but comparing the results in November for Arsenal over the years tells you a different story. They have managed to avoid defeat in three games where they did not deserve to win. And true, that may not be a very charming achievement, but considering the fact how the Gunners capitulate in these games at this time of the year, you have to feel positive about how this team is slowly, but surely building the stomach of champions.

It’s not all about the sudden resilience in their play, though. The best teams win even when they play badly, sure, but Arsenal are only doing one half of that mantra right now. The Emirates faithful were clearly baffled and happily surprised by what they saw yesterday in the second half. When Mesut Ozil beats three men on the left flank and runs like he’s possessed by Alexis Sanchez’s spirit, you know something’ up. That ten minute or so phase where Arsenal completely ran PSG into the ground was the stuff you want to see in every big game, let alone every week. Funny thing was, this happened before Arsène Wenger made any changes too; clearly there was a step up in mentality and the boys suddenly started playing like men after the break. The most obvious question on everyone’s mind was where was this mentality and quick response when it was needed so badly against Manchester United on Saturday? And if they have this in their locker, why don’t they apply it more often?

The answer to both questions, in my opinion, lies in the team setup. With the consistent injuries and over reliance on players like Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin, the makeshifts in defence and midfield are set to continue. In the last three games alone, Arsène Wenger has fielded three different versions of his midfield. This has been the reason for a lack of cohesiveness in the team and probably why there is overall short of creative play and end product. The only positive, apart from the fact the Shkodran Mustafi is still unbeaten in Arsenal shirt, remains that they have not dropped as many points as they would have any other year. No matter the forced diversity that Arsenal may be exhibiting in their XI right now, they are still managing to scrape over the line every game. Being 18 matches unbeaten may not look as glorious given the number of draws in them, but it is heartening to see Le Prof doing his best to juggle and find the working formula for each individual game. Having been accused of stiffness in his tactics, the French manager has shown he still has a trick or two up his sleeve. And I expect to see a lot more of Alex Oxlade Chamberlain coming on as an attacking right back just to go looking for that glorious head of Olivier Giroud.