Arsenal’s tremendous grit among its greatest strengths

Arsenal came into the first leg of their semi-final tie with Liverpool in good spirits, despite the fact that they were missing some key players like Emile Smith Rowe, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Martin Odegaard. When the team lost Granit Xhaka to a straight red card in the 24th minute, many might have believed that this team would then be picked apart by Liverpool.

That did not happen.

Instead, Arsenal buckled down and put on a really remarkable showing for another 70 minutes including stoppage time, putting in an incredible defensive shift for so long, giving up so few shots overall and only one shot on target for Aaron Ramsdale to defend in the 0-0 result. While there is another leg coming up, the first leg will not matter too much in the second, and that’s all thanks to a gritty performance and incredible team focus.

While the upcoming North London Derby was a doubt to go ahead prior to it being postponed, what is not in doubt is what effort Arsenal gave in the first leg of this matchup despite what odds were stacked against them.

Arsenal won’t ever give up, and that will serve them well in the months and years to come

While the loss to Nottingham Forest was hard to swallow for fans and players alike, the team has not backed down from any of their responsibilities or obligations when faced with adversity. Adversity was rife after the team lost Xhaka, and, had things gone south from there, it might have become even more intense and difficult for the entire team.

Yet it did not because Arsenal did everything they could. They showed tremendous grit. They played really compact defense, pushed through early substitutions and issues, and were able to keep the match at 0-0 the entire way. It was a mature and experienced effort from an incredibly young bunch, and while they did it against many bench players, Liverpool had more familiar faces playing too.

No, Liverpool did not put in nobodies into the match, and Arsenal did not beat nobodies either. These Gunners demonstrated that they are not the same team that the Reds recently beat and, if healthy, will be a real problem in the second leg at the Emirates Stadium. If the team plays with such discipline for the rest of the season, this Arsenal lot will not lose too many games, I can assure you all. It’s one of their biggest strengths.

Bukayo Saka is a dangerous young player, as is Gabriel Martinelli, and they showed as much in the first leg. Smith Rowe and Odegaard are as well, however, and it might soon be that Mikel Arteta must fit all four into a side, instead of as substitutes for one another. When that day comes, and it will likely not be an every match deal, it will be frightening for any and all opposing teams to try to defend.

The way Arsenal and those players in particular are growing remains remarkable because it appears to be continuously accelerating as a process. The talent is blooming on all sides of the ball before our eyes, and what was once a sizable gap between talent and ability is shrinking at a rate faster and faster by the week. It is impressive, and the boss deserves some credit along with the players.

He has developed and then applied what he believes this team should be and right now they are making headway by playing in those ways. The Spaniard was second-guessed at points last season and even earlier this season, but has battled through the setbacks, just like his team, and has found greater success and trust as a result.

Arteta and Arsenal are building something together, and it’s only going to get better with time and further recruitment. Some winter signings like Arthur Melo on loan, the purchase of Dusan Vlahovic and a few sales and transfers in will shore up this team even further for a grueling second half of the year that, for a plethora of reasons, feels less intimidating than it probably once appeared it would.

The Gunners are working towards being greater than they’ve been, and greater still than they are today. That is a daily process, but one that appears to be enveloping the team right now. They are responding to difficult situations in the Premier League and elsewhere with resolve and an indignant grace instead of any type of resignation, and this is a positive sign indeed. Arsenal will get there, and we will all be shocked at how fast it took once they are there.