The mood of the home support
Arsène Wenger had considered it necessary to address the general mood of pessimism among the Arsenal support before kick-off, pointing out how the fans ought to be proud and reminding them that the players need love. As rallying cries go, it was hardly in the tub-thumping category. Yet he and the players could not have asked for more from a stadium that was dotted with empty seats. The Emirates can be a grumbling place, but the support was whole-hearted and, a bit of frustration in the second-half apart, it was there when it was needed. The early goal from Theo Walcott had been the perfect soother but roars followed the team's every low ebb. There was no sign of Samir Nasri, who had been the target of angry chants at Newcastle United on Saturday. He had earlier said on his Facebook page that he would leave for Manchester City "with bitterness and anger in my heart". Everybody else was focused on the task in hand.
The cover up front for Van Persie
Amid the clamour for big-name midfield signings to replace the departed Cesc Fábregas and the departing Nasri, it has largely been overlooked that Wenger appears to lack cover in the centre-forward position. Van Persie, newly appointed as the club captain, is not known for his durability and with Nicklas Bendtner given the nod to look for a new club,the sum total of the specialist options thereafter boil down to one man, Marouane Chamakh, who completely lost his way in the second-half of his debut season. With Van Persie suspended, Chamakh started here and did nothing to inspire confidence. Compared to the fleet of foot around him, the Moroccan looked ponderous, his movement predictable, and Udinese's defenders regularly nipped in to pick his pocket. He was a peripheral figure and when Udinese intensified the pressure in the second-half, he struggled to provide an outlet. Bendtner might need to be retained after all. Wenger will welcome back Van Persie with open arms.
The team's disciplinary issues
The incongruoussight of Arsène Wenger fidgeting in the stands, coupled with the absence of Van Persie and Nasri, offered a reminder of disciplinary issues from last season, but Arsenal had also been stalked by similar issues in the build-up to this tie. The afternoon had brought news of a failed appeal against Gervinho's three-match ban, for his sending-off at Newcastle United on Saturday, and Wenger already knew that he had to plan for the next three domestic matches without Alex Song, courtesy of the midfielder's decision to stamp on Joey Barton in the same game. Arsenal have accepted the charge of failing to control their players that they also incurred at Newcastle. It seemed to reinforce the notion that the Gunners are ever capable of getting themselves into needless and pettyrucks when a result is not going their way. A steely collective temperament was required here.Happily for Wenger, there was no red mist.
The case against the defence
It is fashionable and, sometimes, all too easy to knock Arsenal's defenders, particularly on set-pieces, but Wenger's faith in them is unshakable. Udinese presented the sternest of tests and it was not difficult to see why they are rated among the most eye-catching attacking teams in Serie A. Wenger had to tinker with his line-up in the second-half. The left-back Kieran Gibbs was jittery and did not reappear after the interval, due to a slight hamstring strain, and his replacement, Johan Djourou, lasted only minutes. Thomas Vermaelen, having been moved to left-back, was back in the middle when Carl Jenkinson came on. Jenkinson had only previously played at League One level with Charlton. The right-back's debut, at left-back, was some baptism, and he came through. The group lived on their nerves and they were indebted to the crossbar and Wojciech Szczesny, who was the man of the match. An Udinese goal felt inevitable yet it did not come. Wenger could praise his defenders once again.
Progressing to the Champions League
Arsenal are bidding to reach the group stage of Europe's elite competition for the 14th season in succession, via a fifth play-off in six years, and the pressure was not only on what Wenger might call the "technical" side. The club's money men were also on tenterhooks. They have come to factor in, almost automatically, the £25m that comes with participation in the group stage and with their domestic rivals, chief among them Manchester City, pushing back the financial boundaries further and further, it is unthinkable for the club accountants to contemplate Arsenal in the Europa League on Thursday evenings. Arsenal can, just about, pay six-figure weekly salaries but both of the Manchester clubs and Chelsea put that comfortably in the shade. The Nasri situation highlights the disparity – City have offered to pay him £180,000-a-week, and Arsenal cannot afford to see a hole blown in their business plan. Next Wednesday will be nervier still.
Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 16 Aug 11
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