To state the obvious, Arsenal have many players who can change a game in an instant, a rock-solid defence, and an exceptional set-piece conversion record. It’ll be difficult to get a result against them
on Saturday — there’s little point getting too down about it, or wallowing in post-mortems after the event; it is what it is.
Defeat would hurt, but realistically, would anyone have expected anything different at the start of the season? The fact that many fans, judging by social media, now believe we have a genuine chance at a win, or at least a draw, shows just how far we’ve come.
The important thing is to avoid a battering. If we make a fight of it and lose by one or two goals, that’s fine – we move on. The team’s (and supporters’) confidence remains intact, and that’s important for a relatively young and inexperienced team with a set of very difficult games from late November and AFCON to contend with.
I am more than happy with four points from the last two home games, but if Wolves had been anything other than useless in front of goal, it could have been a draw. Everton missed a few great chances, especially in the first thirty minutes or so, when we were poor.
The majority of the chances conceded were the result of giving the ball away cheaply in midfield in our own half. Do that against Arsenal, and there will be only one outcome. It may sound harsh, but we need to cut out the mistakes, or we could easily concede three or more.
But let’s be positive: forget the team names, forget history, it’s first versus fourth on Saturday, and both teams are there on merit. It should, therefore, be a competitive game and not a one-sided affair. If we do win, or even draw, it’s a very happy weekend for all, but as the euphoria wears off, it could bring heat from another direction.
We have largely managed to keep a low profile so far. The bookies still rank our chances of relegation highly, and punters still write us off. However, a win or draw against Arsenal changes expectations, and that brings its own pressures.
Supporters start to dream of more – Europe even – when realistically we should remain focused on the original target of getting to forty points as soon as possible, then reassess. Régis Le Bris’ calm approach has kept players firmly grounded so far, but they are only human. It doesn’t take much for performance levels to drop just a few per cent, and that can be fatal.
After Arsenal, generating a point per game for the rest of the season would see us finish on 45 points, enough to secure 14th place last season. Before the season started, the majority of Sunderland supporters would have been more than happy with that.
At the end of the season, we can then move on with a bunch of experienced Premier League players, including younger players like Rigg, and some quality additions. Combined, that gives us the ability next season to push on with a realistic shot at European competitions.
So whatever the outcome against Arsenal, let’s stay grounded. Let’s go, enjoy, support (not criticise), and maybe we can create a shock; it’s football, it happens.
