Arsenal: Southampton, Bournemouth Contrast Shows Improvement

Arsenal is not immune to the occasional shock, but they avoided it this time around, unlike the shock that was Southampton last season.

Around this time a year ago, Arsenal was collapsing at the hands of Southampton. They were thoroughly dismantled and it was embarrassing. There was no fight in the team and they just let it happen. Like a wounded animal who just lays there and dies.

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It looked like the same thing was happening at Bournemouth. The Cherries kicked the Gunners around and built a 3-0 lead and I was knee deep in a post about how we should do this whole “mental implosion” thing again next year.

But then it changed. There was fight in the Gunners. They bit, clawed, scratched and thoroughly exhausted themselves pulling back into the game and it ended by a tally of 3-3.

That’s right. The Gunner’s were beaten down, embarrassed and defeated but they didn’t allow that to happen. They came back.

Obviously a 3-3 draw with Bournemouth is less than desirable, but under the circumstances, we should be thrilled that it ended this way because the alternative was utter devastation. 3-0 to the Cherries? Get out of town.

It was clear to see what made the difference. Between Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud, there was a fire lit and the two refused to keep the fire to themselves. They pushed everything and coordinated the attacks. They were sprinting up and down and running headlong into the fray.

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They are going to sleep well tonight.

They were the major deciding forces, but Arsene Wenger deserves credit for slipping Lucas Perez on for Alex Iwobi. Iwobi was having a good enough game, but someone had to make way and it actually required a bit of gumption to pull off Iwobi in favor of the Spaniard, who has looked out of place recently.

However, three goals down, you have to take risks and this one paid off. Lucas slotted home from an improbable angle and the Gunner’s were back in the thick of it.

It may not feel like it, but this is a huge improvement over where the team was a year ago. What was going to be a monumental defeat turned into a point that could light a fire under this team. Or it should, at the very least.

And the best part is it was largely the same cast that has crumbled in the past.

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I’m not saying we celebrate this draw. Not by a long shot. But let’s appreciate that this team has more fight than we are used to seeing. Maybe this puts us fully out of reach of the title and maybe baby steps aren’t enough, but this is a big deal.