Arsenal Cannot Afford To Stop And Smell The Roses

Arsenal’s pursuit of May glory began against Leicester, but now they must turn their attention to the path ahead of them. What’s next for the Gunners?

Is it kind of funny huh? My last article mentioned Arsenal needing a moment of greatness this league campaign to lift the trophy in May. Visions of Kun Aguero sealing Manchester City’s title came to mind. Is Danny Welbeck’s (a former Manchester United player) flick of the head in the 95th minute a moment of greatness?

People certainly seem to think so. My news feed has been full of Welbeck presented as a hero, the memes are everywhere, and Arsenal fans around the world are celebrating. Arsene Wenger got it right.

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It took me a while to recover from our victory on Sunday. The repercussions are complex and foreshadowing. There’s a lot to think about.

But we can’t celebrate now. Yes, a win on Sunday was critical. A loss would have sealed our place below first. Everyone knew it, nobody needed to say it. Five plus three equals eight, and that would have set us three games behind. And with Arsenal having the tougher run to end the season, I’m not sure I could pick out three games for Leicester City to lose between now and May. On the opposite side, Arsenal would have had to be flawless, and their future would still not have been in their hands. I don’t like that feeling.

Arsenal won. So we are faced with a different reality. A promising and exciting reality but Sunday was part of the process, not the end goal. The big picture goes beyond Sunday’s game. Welbeck’s goal will only be truly remembered as a moment of greatness if Arsenal goes on and wins the league. If not, try bringing up that goal to a soccer fan in 3 years and see if they remember, I doubt it they will.

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Arsenal now have a chance. They smell the blood in the water. One slip up by Leicester, and we should be snapping at their heels. A tie by them and three points for us and we can begin to overtake Leicester. It’s a much better situation as compared to if we lost on Sunday.

Kudos to the boys.

But, what now? It’s my least favorite time of the year. It’s the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. I know it’s back. When’s the last time we’ve made it past the round of 16? I keep having this repeating dream. We get pummeled at home, then play our best game of the season away from home and depressingly get knocked out of the competition due to the away goal rule (why does that rule exist…seriously, a goal is a goal. I don’t care where you score it).

Remember the time we drew Monaco and we all thought finally, no Barcelona or Bayern. It didn’t go well. Let’s not talk about it.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m absolutely backing Arsenal against Barcelona. If we fans don’t’ believe in them, then who will? I’m realistic. I don’t have much hope that we’ll move on to the next round. Just look at our record in the competition. Arsenal don’t have the squad that can win the UEFA Champions League. They’re easily three or four players short of that feat. Barcelona’s three-headed attacking beast may be the best front line ever regarding goal and assist production.

I’m more than happy to have Arsenal prove me wrong, though.

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I’m more worried about the fallout of our Champions League commitment. The win vs. Leicester should already be in the rear view mirror for Arsenal. We have other fixtures to focus on. Hull City this weekend in the FA Cup. Understood, players will be rested. Give Chambers and Elneny a runout. We have a rich history with this Cup, but we all want the League.

After our first match with Barcelona in the midweek, which according to history hasn’t turned out well for us, we have to rebound against a Rooney-less United at Old Trafford. Don’t underestimate them. Arsenal don’t seem to be over the mental hurdle with United. I don’t think they’re currently a good team, but they’re a difficult team to beat. Will Arsenal be able to respond regardless of their match result with Barcelona? They’re going to have to.

A week after this we have the best match of the season: Arsenal vs. Tottenham at White Hart Lane. How I love this fixture. Remember Thierry Henry’s goal at White Hart Lane where he silenced the stadium and slid on his knees and faced the stunned Tottenham supporters? Or how the Invincibles won the title at White Hard Lane. Those are some beautiful moments in Arsenal history. And with Tottenham ahead of us in the league table on goal differential, the environment is set for another crucial match.

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Although there’s plenty of reason to celebrate, Arsenal must stay focused. We cannot afford to let the results of the Barcelona fixture affect our upcoming league matches. We cannot lose pace. Our rebound from the Champions League may just be as important as Welbeck’s walk off goal vs. Leicester.

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