Arsenal: 4 positives from Man City horror show

Even beginning to consider that there is something positive to draw from what Arsenal supporters had to witness on Saturday can come across as flogging a dead horse. Rightly so. This is the doom and gloom Amazon hedged their bets on.

A resounding 6-0 victory over West Brom’s Under-23 side in the Carabao Cup second round followed by a 5-0 humbling in the Premier League is precisely the level of drama that will make the All or Nothing series an Oscar contender.

Watching on as Mikel Arteta’s side were embarrassed with each wave of City attack, the state of play after full-time ensured Arsenal recorded the joint-worst start to a Premier League season in the history of the competition.

Calls for the manager to be sacked, not for losing to the champions, but the details of how it unfolded, have never been more vociferous. The arguments against that taking place softening amid the increasing volume of discontent.

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4 positives to draw from Arsenal losing 5-0 to Manchester City in the Premier League as Mikel Arteta continues to have calls to be sacked

With the transfer window slamming shut on August 31, there are symbolic calls for a late trolley dash similar to the one that took place the days following the 8-2 obliteration at Old Trafford – coincidentally ten years to the day on from the 5-0 loss.

Will that solve anything? Arteta, funnily enough, was part of that late splurge as he joined from Everton in the closing stages of that summer and he may wish for a player such as himself to come in and help out in midfield.

A midfield, worth noting, that he chose to allow Granit Xhaka to man all on his own.

Spirits are low, the mood is glum. Watching the game back and seeing each mistake unfold and every tactical command either misunderstood or contributing towards the downfall, where exactly there is positivity to draw grows increasingly difficult. But we must try. We must.

1. Emile Smith Rowe Continues to Take Responsibility

On the opening day defeat to Brentford there was a case to be made for Emile Smith Rowe being the best player on the pitch, let alone Arsenal’s key contributor on the night.

Taking the No. 10 shirt before the season began, the expectation that comes with assuming that jersey being bestowed on someone of his young age and relative top-flight inexperience felt like a huge responsibility.

Arsenal haven’t won a game, Smith Rowe hasn’t scored a goal and nor has he laid off an assist. Yet he still shines brightest of all.

This is a young man showing maturity. He did it in west London when those around him faltered, he tried his hardest against Chelsea, and at the Etihad he once more shouldered the burden of creation, effort and drive.

Above all, he was courageous. And this is one of the few hooks on the Arsenal stand that you can hang your hat on.

For players of his age it’s common, and entirely understandable, to fall back into the rhythm of their teammates. It’s not hiding, it’s absorbing the collective catastrophe and being roped in.

Smith Rowe continues to stand tall.

2. Arsenal Have Invaluable Players Coming Back

Here it is. The excuses.

Well, frame them as you want. We’re trying to be positive and, just looking at the back five that played on Saturday, three of them won’t be starting with a fully fit squad. Four if you include the potential for more signings.

It isn’t as much as an excuse more than some hope to cling onto. The team that played in Manchester lost for a variety of reasons and if one or two more were fit for the match then it’s likely not a great deal would have changed given Xhaka would still have got himself sent off.

But there is no denying that Arsenal are a better side with Thomas Partey on the pitch. There is no denying that Ben White and Gabriel are not worse defenders than Rob Holding and Sead Kolasinac.

Up until the first goal Arsenal had tried to be patient in their defensive approach and force Manchester City into wide areas where there were extra men, with the front four – which is now the first choice front four – showing some interesting positive signs in attack.

All undone by the first of many calamitous individual errors, is there anything reassuring to draw from the prospect of that front four being backed up by Premier League standard defenders and a £50m midfielder?

We have to hope so.

3. Final Kick Into Transfer Window Action

At least Calum Chambers will never be reminded about Jefferson Montero again.

Instead he may be faced with: “Hey, Cal, remember Man City?”

It was not a day to remember for the 26-year-old, who didn’t have one of his better afternoons, if we’re being kind. Playing in a back three he struggled with every duel, aerially or otherwise. His lack of athleticism makes him incapable of tracking runners, which is an unfortunate trait to have when you play a side of City’s enviable attacking quality.

Just in front of him was Cedric, who was also astonishingly bad.

What will this change? Well, Arsenal’s budget is so heavily depleted after their hefty £130m spending that there isn’t much left for them to do in the market before sales are made, you just hope that any reservations the owners may have had on one final loosening of the purse strings may be countered by what they’ve witnessed from Arteta’s right-backs.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles (so, so sadly) doesn’t want to play there, Chambers is not Premier League standard, Cedric is hopelessly below Premier League standard and Hector Bellerin is seeking a move away.

Having initially believed it was manageable until January, or even for the season, fortunately, the window is still open to provide a solution to the fact that right-back is a weakness that can’t be mitigated.

4. Arsenal and Their Magnificent Away Support

This is nothing of the team’s doing, nor it is anything related to Arteta.

Crack of dawn starts to catch trains to Manchester and then venture back home, for Arsenal Football Club be two goals down and utterly spineless inside 11 minutes is not what these fans who part with large sums of money each year deserve.

Seeing seats of the away section begin to empty well before half-time was soul crushing. Arteta is under immense pressure, and when you lose them your days are truly numbered. They had every right to make for an early exit as the goals rained down.

Many stayed. Fair f**king play.

There were plenty watching from home who didn’t make it to the end. Nobody blames them. But those who made the journey north in their droves and stayed all the way through to watch a team with 19% possession (9% in the second half) and record a solitary shot all match are a credit to this football club.

Not only that, but to stay after the full-time whistle and applaud the players is beyond commendable. How they didn’t boo to their hearts content…

With precious little to shout about in the early parts of this season, the support from the fans has been the brightest note of all. Hats off.