DEFENCE

We’ve managed to bring a new head coach, a load of new coaches and players yet we still see the same sort of catastrophic defending that can be described in no other way but ‘slapstick’.

Quite where we are with trying to implement something more cohesive in our back line is proving difficult to judge given the personnel currently on display. Certainly, earlier in the season we saw improvements from Bellerin and Holding, and despite remaining unconvincing in his own end, Kolasinac’s recent form at wing back is light years from what we saw in September. It remains too early to say whether this is improved coaching or natural development in younger players, but what is clear is that our older defenders have not benefitted in the same way.

Koscielny has, inevitably, looked rusty as hell since his early return from 7 months out, and Nacho has been decent when fully fit, though this is becoming less frequent, so the jury must remain out on their short-medium term future. Either way, expecting either to play three times a week at this stage is a little unrealistic. Accordingly, neither are likely to be around by the time Arsenal are in a position to challenge for major honours again and we need to start looking at long-term replacements sooner as opposed to later.

Elsewhere, Sokratis has proved largely as expected. A proactive, aggressive defender with a decent turn of pace and a strong character, but one unlikely to nail down a long-term place as first choice when all parties are fully fit. Given the fee paid, we can have no real complaints, and with the injuries we’ve had, things would be a lot uglier without him.

Much the same can be said about Leno when measuring him against expectations.

The German’s greater comfort with the ball at his feet and his superior agility give him a partial edge over Petr Cech, though he has much to do to match the older man’s positioning and strength on crosses.

Certainly, the errors that have been part of Leno’s game in recent seasons have exhibited themselves of late, and while he represents the future rather more than Cech, he feels at this stage a ‘between’ keeper rather than continuing the Arsenal tradition of excellent number ones. That said, at this stage, he’s good enough for where we are, and there is no doubt that his comfort with the ball at his feet matches Emery’s vision rather more. Perhaps the improvements in goalkeeping coaching at the club can iron out some of those errors.

From this point on, however, things start going a bit pear-shaped when talking about the defence.

Despite adding some very welcome and overdue shit-housery, it’s easy to see why Juventus let Lichtsteiner go despite being a warrior for them. He’s still competent going forward against lower division or Europa League opponents, but despite a pleasingly old-school attitude, he looks shot against the pace and movement of any good attacking Premier League sides. In terms of mentality, he’s brought much of what we want, but it’s hard to see his stay in North London extending beyond a one-year cameo. He is this team’s Mikeal Silvestre.

Mustafi has remained a source of frustration, due to his complete lack of consistency. At times, we have seen the player Arsene Wenger must have hoped he was spending £30m+ on, but all too often he has Gus Caesar moments in the middle of otherwise good performances. And, of course, occasionally he has had a bad day from start to finish. We’ll know more about everyone by the summer, but early signs suggest that Mustafi remains as immune to the efforts of Emery’s coaching staff as he was to Wenger’s. Unless he suddenly starts taking unexpected leaps forwards between now and May, the club has to look at other options as part of its long-term planning.

Remarkably, Carl Jenkinson remains part of the conversation, but bar the odd vaguely encouraging Europa League appearance, it’s clear that this life-long Gooner’s Arsenal career is over as soon as mutual contractual commitments conclude.

Lastly, we have on-loan Calum Chambers. Following a promising pre-season and positive comments from Unai Emery, he was surprisingly sent to Fulham, where he was caught up in the malaise of The Cottagers defensive chaos, and looked out of his depth at the lower level.

Recent weeks, however, have seen him transformed into a holding midfielder, where his impact on the team has been much more positive. Quite what this means for his Arsenal future remains uncertain, but he looks no nearer a starting berth in North London at this point in time.

The absolute peak Arsenal defensive moment of the year came in the most important match when, in the dying seconds of an incredible game against Atletico Madrid that Arsenal looked set to win, while also keeping a cleansheet against all the odds, Laurent Koscielny kicked the ball into his own face, David Ospina stepped out of Antoine Griezmann’s way and Shkodran Mustafi fell over just as you thought he was about to save the day.

Griezmann’s celebratory jig gets an honourary mention as the most annoying goal celebration against us of the year.

[read the rest of this Arsenal in-depth review here]