Arsenal: Vieira doing more with less as he upstages Arteta

The Premier League returned at the weekend and we had to wait until Monday night to see Arsenal in action. In truth, we could of all wished the international break went a little longer.

The Gunners were coming up against a Crystal Palace side managed by former club great and captain, Patrick Vieira. Having started the game in positive fashion, Arsenal took the lead with just seven minutes gone in the first half.

Arsenal controlled possession, Aubameyang harassed constantly and the team pushed the Eagles back into their half. However, once the goal went it, the team seemed to switch mentalities, and Palace took charge of the match: the away side looked far more comfortable, threatening and composed.

On home soil and facing a team outside of the league’s big guns – sitting in 14th pre-game – the Gunners should be dominating games such as these with the squad they have. Pound for pound with the side Arteta fielded on Monday night it was a game they should be winning. It’s as simple as that.

Patrick Vieira doing more with less at Crystal Palace as he upstages Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in dramatic 2-2 Premier League draw

One thing that stood out is what both managers have been able to do with their teams since arriving – and it does not make for pleasant viewing. Vieira has been in the job 87 fewer matches than his opposing number and his side looked more assured of their job roles, dangerous in possession, organized in their press and block, and when they got into good positions, they capitalized on both occasions.

The difference in what Vieira has done in such a short time with Palace compared to Arteta is stark. The Spaniard is over 20 months into his tenure, spent a shedload of money and fans still don’t not know what the team’s plan is, or, at least, how it is supposed to be executed to produce a winning formula.

As for Vieira, he has his Palace side acutely aware of their responsibilities. They were deserving of a win at the Emirates, even if they too weren’t overly spectacular. How he got his team on board with the philosophy, how he sets them up and the instructions given, all point to a manager who at least at this stage of his managerial career, knows what he is doing.

For many, the jury is still out on Arteta, and after what can only be described as a woeful performance – aside from seven minutes – the chorus of voices who think Arteta isn’t fit for the Arsenal job grows ever louder.

It was pointed out that the Arsenal board should move Vieira in straight away. Now we know that can’t happen right now, and is a knee-jerk reaction to the performance, but it is food for thought. What person would be so warmly welcomed and give the club as a whole such a boost of energy and confidence aside from Thierry Henry? Indeed.

Looking at what Vieira has done with Palace in his short stint compared to Arteta, it is not even close and it does beg the question that with Vieira at the helm, what could he do with this current team? At this stage, it is unclear who is the problem. It is the players or is it Arteta? After the Palace game, that question remains unanswered. Equally, is Vieira an elite coach, or just marginally better than Arteta? There is plenty of argument to suggest that isn’t the toughest remit to fill.

One thing is for sure, given the signs of improvement at Palace over a short period of time, Vieira is having a more distinct impact in London. There is no doubt he saw Monday as one of many auditions. That might feel harsh on the Spaniard, but the proof was there for all to see; Vieira outsmarted Arteta and did it in a way that prompted Arsenal needing a last-second Premier League equalizer.

How the likes of Conor Gallagher, Luke Milivojevic, and James McArthur could waltz through the Gunners’ midfield and passed their way around any attempt to press with consummate ease is concerning. That has Vieira’s fingerprints all over it, and he didn’t need to be exceptional to do so.

We saw in the flesh exactly what the Frenchman can do with a team less talented than the home side. There are no sudden calls for the men in the dugouts to swap places, although the mind does wander when witnessing an opposing manager do more ‘Arsenal things’ than the man who’s had 20 months on the job.