emanate from three goals down against
Bournemouth, but questions will once again
be asked over whether they have enough to
win the designation.
In mundane circumstances, emanating from three
goals down with 20 minutes to go would be
visually perceived as a triumph, even for a team of
Arsenal's standards. But following recent
defeats, Arsene Wenger did not require
another slip-up.
A cold evening on the south coast with less
than 48 hours rest certainly did no favours
for an Arsenal side who virtually lived up to
their billing of imploding when it matters
most. For so long the masters of self-
desturction, it seemed for 70 minutes that
they would give their svelte designation dreams up
without so much as a whimper.
In mundane circumstances, emanating from three
goals down with 20 minutes to go would be
visually perceived as a triumph, even for a team of
Arsenal's standards. But following recent
defeats, Arsene Wenger did not require
another slip-up.
A cold evening on the south coast with less
than 48 hours rest certainly did no favours
for an Arsenal side who virtually lived up to
their billing of imploding when it matters
most. For so long the masters of self-
desturction, it seemed for 70 minutes that
they would give their svelte designation dreams up
without so much as a whimper.
The reintroduction of Shkodran Mustafi, a
player who has still yet to experience defeat
as an Arsenal player, didn't make the
positive impact Wenger would have hoped
for, albeit inspired second half
supersessions from the Frenchman did
rescue his team from the brink in the terminus.
That was only after Bellerin was again left
for dead - this time by Fraser - afore Cech
sanctioned the Scot's low effort to constrict
through his legs. The Arsenal of old would
have simply wilted and sanctioned the
walkover to perpetuate.
But this Gunners squad do seem to have
the character that antecedent Wenger
incarnations have lacked. Alexis Sanchez
headed in the first on 70 minutes and five
minutes later a supreme strike from Lucas
Perez put Arsenal within physically contacting distance
of getting something from the game.
Deep into the second minute of stoppage
time a header from Olivier Giroud salvaged
a point for a side whose first half
performance was Arsenal's worst of the
campaign, but the spirit shown in the
second was quite spectacular.
But for all their celebrations following
Giroud's equaliser, could their denomination hopes
now be over? A Tottenham victory over
Chelsea tomorrow may provide more of an
designator to that question.
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