Arsenal vulnerable but resolute
It has been a little more than 10 years since Arsenal last won the Premier League title, their efforts since betrayed by nerves, immaturity or the sort of luck with injuries that makes you wonder whether Arsene Wenger makes a point of stepping on all the cracks on the way to work in the morning.
This late victory over Crystal Palace offered conflicting evidence as to what the new campaign holds.
On the one hand, Arsenal's defensive frailties were exposed. On the other, the resolve and determination that was so evident in the 2014 FA Cup final was on display, too. Arsenal tend to make their own problems, but at least this time they came up with a solution as well.
Broadly, it was the sort of performance that these supporters have grown accustomed to over the past decade. A promising start, an unexpected slip, a deserved equaliser and an increasingly frantic chase for a winner. Quite how so many Arsenal fans survive matches without keeling over through stress-induced seizures is one of the Premier League's enduring mysteries.
The Gunners were
extremely ambitious from the start, making a concerted effort to release
Alexis Sanchez with long balls into the flanks, and to support him with
the running of Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey.
This clash was typical of the test that Arsenal will face this year, a sustained assault on obdurate opposition. Only the centre-backs stayed back when Arsenal attacked; everyone else was either in or approaching the final third.
Unfortunately for Wenger, 34 minutes of territorial dominance came to nothing and Arsenal were punished for their profligacy after working themselves into a horrendous muddle in their own half.
First a panicked clearance from Wojciech Szczesny gave Marouane Chamakh a sight on goal from range. Then, after Laurent Koscielny had so admirably blocked his former teammate's effort, he launched himself at the approaching Fraizer Campbell.
He was fortunate to avoid giving away a penalty, but it mattered not. Crystal Palace swung in the resultant corner, Brede Hangeland hung in the air like an avenging Nordic angel, and Arsenal's vulnerability to set pieces was highlighted once again.
But Arsenal fought back and scored right on the stroke of half-time. Hangeland was, once again, responsible for the goal, but in a very different way.
Perhaps buoyed by his debut goal, he completely lost Koscielny at a free kick, and the Arsenal defender deftly turned his header past Julian Speroni.
As ever, there was a sense of indecision about Arsenal on the attack.
A typical example was a fine nutmeg by Alexis just shy of the half-hour mark that released Mathieu Debuchy, but he cut the ball back too square and momentum was lost. Yet their repeated failures did nothing to break their spirit.
With time running out, Ramsey was on hand to finish what Debuchy had started, tapping home after Speroni had spilled the Frenchman's shot.
Three points, but how Arsenal fans must wish they could occasionally be secured with rather less fuss.
espnfc
It has been a little more than 10 years since Arsenal last won the Premier League title, their efforts since betrayed by nerves, immaturity or the sort of luck with injuries that makes you wonder whether Arsene Wenger makes a point of stepping on all the cracks on the way to work in the morning.
This late victory over Crystal Palace offered conflicting evidence as to what the new campaign holds.
On the one hand, Arsenal's defensive frailties were exposed. On the other, the resolve and determination that was so evident in the 2014 FA Cup final was on display, too. Arsenal tend to make their own problems, but at least this time they came up with a solution as well.
Broadly, it was the sort of performance that these supporters have grown accustomed to over the past decade. A promising start, an unexpected slip, a deserved equaliser and an increasingly frantic chase for a winner. Quite how so many Arsenal fans survive matches without keeling over through stress-induced seizures is one of the Premier League's enduring mysteries.
This clash was typical of the test that Arsenal will face this year, a sustained assault on obdurate opposition. Only the centre-backs stayed back when Arsenal attacked; everyone else was either in or approaching the final third.
Unfortunately for Wenger, 34 minutes of territorial dominance came to nothing and Arsenal were punished for their profligacy after working themselves into a horrendous muddle in their own half.
First a panicked clearance from Wojciech Szczesny gave Marouane Chamakh a sight on goal from range. Then, after Laurent Koscielny had so admirably blocked his former teammate's effort, he launched himself at the approaching Fraizer Campbell.
He was fortunate to avoid giving away a penalty, but it mattered not. Crystal Palace swung in the resultant corner, Brede Hangeland hung in the air like an avenging Nordic angel, and Arsenal's vulnerability to set pieces was highlighted once again.
But Arsenal fought back and scored right on the stroke of half-time. Hangeland was, once again, responsible for the goal, but in a very different way.
Perhaps buoyed by his debut goal, he completely lost Koscielny at a free kick, and the Arsenal defender deftly turned his header past Julian Speroni.
As ever, there was a sense of indecision about Arsenal on the attack.
A typical example was a fine nutmeg by Alexis just shy of the half-hour mark that released Mathieu Debuchy, but he cut the ball back too square and momentum was lost. Yet their repeated failures did nothing to break their spirit.
With time running out, Ramsey was on hand to finish what Debuchy had started, tapping home after Speroni had spilled the Frenchman's shot.
Three points, but how Arsenal fans must wish they could occasionally be secured with rather less fuss.
espnfc
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