Arsenal went to Leicester in search of only their third cleansheet in their last 25 Premier League away games and, as you know, couldn’t find it.
Mesut Ozil started as we thought he might with Dani Ceballos being injured and there was a first Premier League start for 11 months for Rob Holding as Emery named a back three in the league for the first time.
Hector Bellerin started, too, but Kieran Tierney was on the bench, caution being taken with him after Brendan Rodgers mentioned how much of an adjustment it is for him moving from Glasgow and Celtic to London and Arsenal.
As is our way now, we conceded possession, urging a dangerous Leicester onto a defence that has shown itself to be as strong as Nigel Farage’s resolve in the face of a milkshake.
— Michael (@MikeVann94) November 9, 2019
The VAR operator, of course, got in on the action before long, benefiting Arsenal for a change when Stuart Atwell refused to give a penalty for blatant Guendouzi pull in the Arsenal box.
The other way around and I would have been apoplectic which I (almost) was a few minutes later when a clear handball for us wasn’t given. Lacazette should have put it away regardless to give us an unlikely lead.
We're doing this thing with the ball in the box. It seems familiar.
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) November 9, 2019
Unai Emery’s 50th Premier League match in charge played out like most of his others, showing the opposition far too much respect while struggling to keep the ball when we did get it. This is how he wants us to play, a mid-table manager playing mid-table football and happy about it.
https://twitter.com/zoopertrip/status/1193225601097715712
Lol pic.twitter.com/esakgFXcEb
— JB™️ (@gunnerpunner) November 9, 2019
Offensively, however, we seemed to have a bit more about us. The inclusion of Ozil, perhaps? That seems too simple an answer, but sometimes the best answers are just that. Play Ozil, create chances.
It really isn’t complicated and hasn’t been all season.
Watching the game for 5 minutes I can see that Ozil and Torreira in the team has given us everything that we've been missing all season
Who would have thought…— Saad Chowdhary – SAC786 (@SaadChowdhary) November 9, 2019
That being said, it’s all relative and, for the most part, Arsenal were shit, just less shit for a while than we’ve been used to. Hit me in the face 50 times with a wooden plank, it’s going to seem like a tender caress when you punch me instead.
Unai Emery is 45 minutes away from his first Premier League 0-0 draw in his 50th attempt.
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) November 9, 2019
With no changes needed at the break, we resumed the second half, settling back into a game of cat and mouse where the mouse taunts the cat to put it out of its misery.
Leicester smashed the bar as Arsenal rode their luck but then, against all the odds, Auba found the back of the net. Offside, unfortunately, and so close to his first Saturday away goal for Arsenal in the league. That was to be pretty much all we managed in the second half.
It was, of course, Jamie Vardy who broke the deadlock to leave Emery still searching for a 0-0 draw in the Premier League and that was that.
Fans sunk lower in their chairs as they wondered about the chances of a side that can’t hold onto a lead clawing back one. They knew it wasn’t good, not under this coach, not playing this style of cowardly football.
It was 2-0 just before the 75th minute as James Maddison made sure for the Foxes, leaving Unai Emery’s clutch of hens plucked and ready to be served for Sunday dinner. Arsenal managed no efforts after they went two down, giving up completely.
If you’re hoping this will be enough to see Emery shown the door, I’m afraid you’re likely to be even more disappointed than you are watching his team try to play football.
As the Leicester fans ole’d and sang ‘sacked in the morning,’ I could only think to myself, ‘I wish…’