Arsenal		3		-		2		Sunderland
van Persie (7)								Wallace (25)
Senderos (14)								Jones (48)
van Persie (80)

Att: 60,098

A not unfamiliar feeling but unfamiliar circumstances led to three points and entering the international break at the peak of the Premier League. RvP’s late winner showed a mental resilience that the team have developed through their growing maturity, dropping a two goal lead will be something that will probably concern Arsene more than anything over the coming days. It is hard to say what brought about the lapses; was it tiredness, complacency or a mixture of both? Whatever it was, the warning received today will, hopefully, not be easily forgotten.

Both goals were disappointing to concede. Clichy was caught on the backfoot for the first, the ball travelling a long way to reach Jones behind him. From there on, it was a catalogue of misfortune, poor timing and poor positioning. Almunia did well to block Jones shot, the ball could have gone for a corner or away to that area of the pitch. Instead, Toure was nutmegged and with Flamini and Diaby too slow to recover their defensive positions Wallace picked the side of the goal from Almunia had just returned to wrongfoot the keeper with a calm finish.

The second was equally poor to concede. Toure and Flamini had a two v two well covered until the former decided to leave Flamini to deal with it, ending up in no-man’s land between the six yard area and the edge of the box, watching helplessly as a good cross pass over his head. Senderos had correctly followed his man to the near post but that left Clichy in the centre and Sagna in the left back position. Leadbitter and Jones then attacked the ball, easily outjumping Clichy to head past Almunia. The Spaniard could perhaps have come for the ball but it was going away from his line and in all likelihood, he would not have reached it. To criticise his positioning is churlish. Any more towards the near post and the far post would have been totally unprotected. The problem was with the positioning of the defenders; they were lax, complacent and not concentrating. The good work of the preceding weeks had been undone. There was no solidity from the midfield, leaving the flanks exposed.

The only one who can escape criticism for his part in the two goals is Senderos, something that will stick in the throats of a few, as he was with his ‘man’ until it was too late to do anything for the second and covering the goalline for the first. With Flamini in for Gilberto, there is a trade off. The former provides more impetus in attacking positions but the latter has the experience to provide protection to the defence. On the left, Diaby is easily marshalled into channels yet had two goals chalked off; the first is excused by the fact that Styles had clearly blown for the freekick before Diaby struck the ball, the second, well, I still cannot see who was offside and interfering with play.

Arsene spoke after the game of a ‘loss of focus’ but aside from the first twenty minutes and the last ten, it was a problem for most of the match with Stokes in particular being allowed easy passage for a rasping shot that Almunia did well to turn to safety. That the warning has happened at home in a relatively straightforward game is a blessing. If there is a repeat at Anfield then last season’s drubbing may well be revisited.

The game started well and gave no indication of what was to follow. The opening goal that had been threatened came from a thunderous freekick from van Persie; eleven keepers on the line would not have stopped it such was the ferocity and accuracy of the strike. The second came directly from a corner that Jones bizarrely elected to head straight back towards the six yard area and was hacked to the right edge of the area by Nosworthy. Adebayor played the ball behind the mass, Diaby pirouetted and completely missed the ball, Senderos scuffed his effort into the bottom corner of the net. Shortly after, a clean header from close range was inexplicably put wide by the same player, something he will be disappointed with.

Sunderland came back into the game when the wide midfielders pushed forward and therein is the reason for the ineffectiveness of Diaby and Hleb in defence; they simply failed to adjust to the new situation and did not exploit the gaps behind their opponents sufficiently to make situations count.

Both keepers made a number of good saves in between the goal action and Toure really ought to have done better around the hour mark, a powerful shot striking the post. I mean, c’mon Kolo, when you shoot from thirty yards there is really no excuse for not scoring, is there? Had the post feelings, I doubt that the much fabled ‘magic sponge’ would have helped much to quell the pain such was the ferocity of the strike. The impetus was really regained with the combination of Walcott and Eboue on the right. Having had an air shot in the area when it seemed easier to score, it would have been understandable if Walcott had lost confidence. Instead, he picked himself up and dusted himself down and continued to stretch the defence, turning his marker well to create the opening for the unmarked van Persie to control the ball and slot home with his left for the winner. Walcott himself hit the inside of the post and it seems the opening Emirates goal of his career may not be that far away from arriving.

The sending off spoilt what was otherwise a creditable Sunderland performance. That said, I felt Rob Styles had little choice but to send McShane off for a poorly timed and dangerous challenge. If Alex Hleb had any thoughts of fatherhood in the next few weeks, they may well have been put on the backburner for a full set of studs in the privates is not noted in many circles as being a fertility rite.

Much is being written of how Manchester United are better than Arsenal, more mature and a clear favourite for the title. How easily this team are dismissed on the back of one poor defensive performance. To do so is to forget that this is the same Manchester United who a matter of weeks ago were being chastised for not scoring enough after a poor start to the season. Such is the short term memory lapse within the media that the fact Arsenal have outscored all bar one of their opponents this season counts for nought. We shall see how the race evolves but at the end of the day, the only time any thoughts of a title count are when it is decided.

The key to the benefits of these three points rest not just in the return to the top of the table. The real issue is whether or not this has been the wake-up call the side needed to ensure total concentration for the rest of the season. They have worked hard to build six and seven point leads over Liverpool and Chelsea respectively, and a two point gap on United  (with a game in hand) at this early stage of the season. It is a shame that those efforts are being disrespected due to one below par performance. I always thought that the sign of a good side was winning games when you were not on song. Apparently this is no longer the case unless you are Manchester United.

’til Tomorrow.