In the long run of time, this will be remembered as a victory for Arsenal – nothing more, nothing less.
The history books don’t record sentiment, mood, performance or atmosphere, they will show only that Shakhtar came to the Emirates and went away empty-handed.
But, right now, those of us who watched the match are left with a strange, bitter taste. Victory should be sweet but this wasn’t.
I think we were all looking for a response in the wake of defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday and a good beating dished out to our visitors would have offered just that. That opportunity was spurned, however, and instead we got more of the same sloppy, listless, lethargic football we experienced at the weekend.
It may ultimately have been a victory but it feels like we took a step backwards in achieving it.
Primarily to blame for me is a plethora of wasted opportunities that should have seen this game put to bed a long time before the final whistle. The profligacy was maddening and, more than that, actively made us worse as the game progressed. It seemed like the more we missed, the more we retreated into ourselves, the confidence draining away.
The tone was set barely four minutes in when Riccardo Calafiori blasted over the bar from less than 10 yards. Had that found the back of the net, I may this morning be talking about a comfortable, commanding 3-0 win. Instead, it was simply the pre-cursor to a night of frustration.
Good chances for Gabriel Jesus, Gabby Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz were wasted and it was only a slice of good fortune that afforded us a goal on the night. We have a goalpost and a goalkeeper’s backside to thank for victory.
If there was anything to be taken from this game, it was the return to form of both Martinelli and Thomas Partey. The former has shown much more of his dynamic, game-changing self since finally returning to the scoresheet a month ago and his workrate even as his team mates lumbered around the pitch in the second half was admirable.
Partey, meanwhile, has affected a remarkable turnaround in fortunes. At the start of this campaign, he looked leaden-legged and spectacularly unfit. It seemed his best years and his best form was long behind him. In the last few weeks, however, he has risen to the fore as the team has struggled.
His dynamism in the first half in particular was reminiscent of his early days at Arsenal. It has taken him a long time but the minutes in his legs have done him wonders. We need him to stay fit while the manager gets a grip on what’s going wrong with the team.
Speaking of fitness, it is fair to add that Arsenal are still without the services of Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard. Taking three top players out of any squad is going to have an impact and we are really starting to feel it now. The lack of energy, dynamism and creativity we saw last night was symptomatic of their continued absences.
If, by some miracle, we can have them back in time for Liverpool on Sunday, it would be a timely boost but I fear their injuries are more profound than we are being led to believe.
If we are without them for the weekend, the manager is going to need to find a way to get this team clicking again. At the moment, we are scraping through by the skin of our teeth but that won’t cut it against a side in form, as Liverpool are.
Moat of all, I just want a win to feel good again!
Blog on You Gunners 