There we were thinking this was an all-new Arsenal. Here was a match which, for much of it, appeared to build on that 2-0 away win at Manchester City in January. The renaissance Arsenal team seems solid, workmanlike and ready to hit teams on the counter.
With Mesut Ozil orchestrating, Olivier Giroud turning into a warrior-like centre forward who can hold the ball up superbly, and the speed and skill of Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck wide, they are perfectly equipped to play this type of game. And with Francis Coquelin’s importance growing with every game, there seemed to be a solidity about Arsenal which has rarely been evident in the past.
It is, however, something of a mirage, an illusion. They might appear more robust but their fragility seems to haunt them, hanging around like an un-exorcised spirit.
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