Arsenal's 5-1 defeat against Bayern Munich means Champions League elimination is almost certain, but the Gunners must surely rally against Spurs at the weekend.
There is not much anyone can say about Arsenal's abject display. Arsene Wenger was as disgusted with the defending as most of the fans. It's not often I would accuse players of not trying, but a lot of them seemed to have given up the ghost from the beginning.
It was shocking. The injured Koscielny, in particular, was missed. Bellerin, was also out of action too, but Debuchy deputised reasonably well given the awful performances that surrounded him. Perhaps Debuchy benefitted from Joel Campbell's assistance, as the Costa Rican was one of the few players who kept running.
Strangely, given the stick he's had for his lack of work rate, Ozil was another who kept running. He even had 'a goal' disallowed, although it turned out the referee was right to rule it out for handball.
At least, Giroud's spectacular goal was allowed to stand. He was replaced by the 'unready' Alex Iwobi, who must be becoming readier and readier for first-team duty with each minute he spends on the pitch. It was character-building stuff for the youngster, as you learn more from defeat.
It is for that reason, I expect Arsenal to keep a clean sheet in the next game. I'm not sure how many the Gunners will score against Spurs, as they are in decent form, but I'll be most surprised if Cech is picking the ball out of his net again this weekend.
Sent from my iPhone
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