The main point of contention is why it took until half time for Arsenal to make what was an entirely necessary and correct adjustment, given the circumstances.

Even after going 0-1 up after capitalising on the latest in a long line of David Ospina calamities, Cologne persisted playing one up front, with no second man coming in to support any pressing of the ball when Arsenal had possession in the back three. This left Arsenal with two spare men at the back and far too many ahead of the ball, in areas congested by retreating and disinterested Cologne players.

Wenger’s decision to withdraw one of his three centre back and revert to a back four was absolutely the correct one given the circumstances, but perhaps it could have been taken after 20 minutes, rather than 45.

Even if he didn’t want to make a substitution that early, he could have shifted Monreal to left back, leaving Holding and Per Mertesacker in the middle, and moved Maitland-Niles to central midfield. The personnel was already on the pitch for a workable solution.

With all the chaos both on and off the pitch, it’s worth mentioning Mohamed Elneny providing a constant at the heart of the action.

He’s not a flash player, and doesn’t really have a ‘Thing’, but he does everything to a decent standard. Elneny is a risk-averse player, who will spot players between the lines, but won’t play the pass unless he think it’s definitely on. He won’t turn the ball over in dangerous areas. He won’t win you a game, but he’ll help you Not Lose it, providing a steady platform for your playmakers and goalscorers to go out and get it done.

When things aren’t going your way and there’s too many people trying to do too much with the ball to force something, it’s crucial to have someone like Elneny who can keep their head and try to instill calm in those around them through leading by example, rather than angrily shouting and gesticulating.

Next, subpar Alexis