Arsenal Vs Stoke City: Infighting the necessary evil

There were two clear moments of Arsenal players fighting with one another in their win against Stoke City. It is a necessary evil to change the mediocre culture of the dressing room.

The Arsenal team has, perhaps rightly, often been criticised for being a collection of soft, uncommitted, scared, unwilling-to-challenge individuals. They, per the detractors, lack character and leadership. They may be talented players on the pitch, but the fight, resolve, resilience and sharpening-spirit that is required to succeed over a long season do not exist.

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I have often agreed with this sentiment. While I think it is a little naive to suggest that these players do not want to win — they are professional sportsmen; there is no way they would not be where they are without being competitive –, there is credence in the suggestion that they lack the required character to compete and triumph.

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However, in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Stoke City, there were two instances where Arsenal players showed the exact type of fighting spirit that fans and pundits have been calling for for many years.

The first came from Jack Wilshere, who was captain on the day. He bawled out Nacho Monreal for not getting into a wide position to show for the ball from Shkodran Mustafi, who was subsequently forced to punt clear, losing possession.

The second was on behalf of one Mesut Ozil, who was caught in some verbal sparring with Hector Bellerin, seemingly saying that the Spaniard talks too much and that he would see him inside the dressing room after the match, a claim that was ostensibly proved by Bellerin’s tweet after the match.

I have no idea what was actually said by Ozil or Wilshere — it is from body language and watching the footage that such judgements have been made. And I have no idea what the response will be from Monreal and Bellerin, though the latter seemed to take it in good spirits if his tweet is anything to go by.

But what it does show, if falling a little short of the confirming stage, is that, sometimes, these players are willing to chew one another out if they do not do what is expected of them. Bellerin, for instance, had, in Ozil’s opinion, played a pass too late that meant that the German had drifted into an offside position by the time that he received it.

Infighting in a dressing room is never nice. An undivided house cannot stand. But sometimes it is a necessary evil. Criticism, if done so in the right context from the right source to the right players, will cause improvements. Iron sharpens iron. That is what Arsenal have been so painfully missing.

Next: Arsenal Vs Stoke City: Player ratings

Well, both Wilshere and Ozil showed that willingness to question and antagonise at the weekend. That does not mean that they will do so consistently and constructively all the time. But it is at least a good sign. God knows they need to.