Where do we start? It’s not really looking good for Arsenal when Liverpool are expected by all and sundry to leave the Emirates Stadium with at least a point. Apparently we got torn a new arsehole at Stamford bridge last Sunday, we have gone from championship contenders to Europa Cup fodder. I for one don’t subscribe to the doom and gloom predicted for us by the scribes.

Wenger cannot be happy with the defensive lapses that can't seem to be arrested.

My feeling on the Chelsea game is far from that of despair, yes I am disappointed that we lost, and as everyone points out the total lack of defensive nous and concentration is really frigging annoying.
Unlike the previous game we were not outmanoeuvred as everyone would like you to believe.

For all the criticism of Arsenal and Wenger’s post match comments, is he really wrong to suggest that the first goal was the game changer?
How different would it be if Clichy didn’t have a senior moment and went wandering off to the near post instead of manning his position exactly where the goal went in.

What the hell was he thinking? This is not a coaching or management problem, this wasn’t even lack of concentration. he clearly saw the danger as he was pointing to the unmarked man so why Clichy I asked did you go on a walkabout? What has happen to the Clichy of 2 years ago?

Anyway my point is that this first goal so early in the game, changed the entire nuance of the match. Now we had to go all out in search of a goal, which is not what you want to do in that type of game against that kind of opposition.

To compound matters, Chelsea’s second just 15 minutes later was a case of deja deja vu. This time the blame wasn’t squarely that of Clichy as I read everywhere. Thomas Vermaelen was in a very good position to cover Drogba, what does he to? Leaves Drogba in oodles of space and motion Clichy to move over to cover the Ivorian. Does he not trust Clichy to cover the centre?

Wenger rightly pointed out that the problem is not in a striker but in the defences lapses. When the game is level the game is even both teams have to try to score will preventing the other from scoring —except for those whose entire plan is to prevent the opposition scoring and hope for a draw— the team that scores first will always have the advantage because the onus is on the other team to score. A two goal lead means that you can pretty much park the bus which is what Chelsea did, if they don’t score then the game is much more open and maybe then we wouldn’t be talking about being a striker short.

Oh how different it would be if only Arshavin had scored that goal, we’d probably be talking about how good we are and about winning the title, instead we’re calling for Wenger’s head. The margins are that small, and the difference between the top teams comes down to little errors that get punished, unfortunately we have been on the wrong side of this fine line much more than we would like.

There are 13 games left to go in the season, the best we can do is put our full support behind the team, the best they can do is put their full effort into the games. We could get lucky, other teams  could drop points, this is sport and in sport anything can happen…