Arsenal now resemble CatDog. The attack skillful and menacing, the defense clumsy, inept, and a complete mess.
Arsenal were due a collapse. Axiomatic really. More interestingly is who gets to pull the short straw. Historically, familiar tormentors Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool, Spurs, Newcastle, AC Milan have all had their turns but it appears lesser known sides are also lining up to administer ritualistic abomination. This time it was Anderlecht, so penurious they have never won an away match against English opposition in 29 encounters with just the one draw against Spurs in the 1984 UEFA Cup final to break the tedium. But Arsenal are a good bet to be generous and their egalitarian spirit does not allow discrimination.
The first half Arsenal had enough answers attacking wise to tide over the worrying spectacle of a defense easily pushed aside on the counter. Alexis Sanchez is easily the sides linchpin. The man is head and shoulders above the best you can hope for. He’s elusive and yet strong and more importantly has the individuality and the predatory instincts that keeps him going when all others have stopped for a seance. In behind Danny Welbeck, Sanchez got things going with his outlet finding the striker who was bundled over by Mbemba for a penalty. Converted duly by Arteta. A minute later, it was Anthony Vanden Borre’s villainy bringing down Sanchez after the Chilean ran a couple of rings around him. The rather ordinary free kick ballooned off the wall and as it came to Sanchez he line drove up a perfectly placed volley. Sanchez was on fire, the Ox was snarling down the left, and Arsenal were coasting.
Defensively, they were leakier than a thatched hut in Cherrapunji. Anderlecht came close on at least three occasions with Szcz having to bring off a spectacular save to deny Sacha Kjlestan, then Mertesacker extending a long leg last minute to deflect Praet’s shot, and Chambers also applying similar damage limitation to the same Belgian player minutes later.
The Ox got Arsenal their third goal at the hour mark and the unease at the Emirates gave way to a lightening mood. Again it was Sanchez playing a part, this time as pitbull harrying Kjlestan into blind alleys and as the ball came loose, the Ox took off down the left channel past the much maligned Vanden Borre towards goal and opened up his body to place the ball past Proto. Much needed insurance after Ramsey and Welbeck had come close. That was when Arsenal decided to turn tail. Words fail. Vanden Borre who all match looked as if a paper bag could have gotten the better of him swept substitute Andy Kawaya’s cross past Szcz to give Anderlecht a lifeline. To mention it was a few yards offside would let Arsenal off the hook. And the worst thing at this stage would be to give Arsenal and Arsene Wenger any excuses. Anderlecht with their tails up were overrunning midfield, now a vast open veldt, with a scurrying Flamini coming on for the hamstrung Arteta. Who keeps track of injuries any more? Nacho Monreal, makeshift center back in Arsenal’s duct taped back four brought down sub Aleksandar Mitrovic, who deserves some sort of jail time for his hairdos, one which looks like a diseased badger fused with his scalp. The resurrected Vanden Borre made it 3-2 from the penalty spot.
Arsenal’s crumbling defense could not keep Anderlecht from scoring one more time as Mitrovic a la Abel Hernandez, Leonardo Ulloa, and Andy Najar in the first match flashed past Mertesacker to head a cross for the equalizer. Full marks to Anderlecht. They never gave up and stuck magnificently to their counterattacking strength. They were helped by a defense that had no shape, no composure, no leadership, decimated by far too many injuries, and so vulnerable to the counter that no scoreline can ever be truly comforting to the Arsenal fan. The midfield is non-existent. Once again, a spanner in the works just when the attack looks bright and menacing. But there is no use complaining, the one who can fix this will say fans don’t understand the game, or you can’t just go to a store and buy a player, or that he’s only interested in top, top quality, or some other excuse. This is an ongoing saga. You can aspire for high quality attacking and at the same time be sound defensively. One doesn’t necessarily have to come at the expense of the other or be defined by it. But in Wenger’s mind this is all a zero sum game and it leads to the same problems over and over and over and over again. Arsenal should qualify for the knock out stage for the 17th time but failing to once again win the group will consign them to an all too familiar fate of a top side eating them for breakfast.