Hello? Is anyone still there? If you are, well done. You’ve just made it through possibly the worst 90 minutes of football in the Premier League this season.
But, at least we learned something from it.
1. Sunderland are staying up
Great scenes in the away end as #SAFC ensure @premierleague football for 2015-16 with a crucial point #hawaythelads
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 20, 2015
All Dick Advocaat’s men needed to secure their Premier League status was a point tonight, and boy did they earn it. For the majority of the match it was attack v defence, but it was probably Sunderland that had the best chances. Steven Fletcher should’ve scored twice, but one was stopped by David Ospina and the other was sent over the bar.
Steven Fletcher has made 2 truly world class clearances for the Arsenal defence #AFCvSFC
— Arse&Nose (@Arse_n_Nose) May 20, 2015
They won’t be caring though, because they’ve just guaranteed that next year will be their ninth successive season in the Premier League.
2. Jack Wilshere has spent a lot of time on Fifa
wilshere has those L1 triangle passes down to a Tee! #AFCvSFC #superJack
— FentyKnows (@FentyKnows) May 20, 2015
It’s the only plausible reason for how delightfully he was lobbing the ball over the Sunderland defence for players to run on to. He’s got that L1+triangle on smash.
3. The people of Twitter care not for Sunderland
It's really bugging me that #AFCvSFC is trending. It's #SAFC!
— Craig Johns (@craig_johns) May 20, 2015
There were obviously a number of fans hoping for a Sunderland win tonight, for various reasons, but that doesn’t mean they know much about the club. How do we know? Because #AFCvSFC was trending throughout the game, only, Sunderland aren’t SFC. They’re SAFC.
Schooled.
4. Arsenal haven’t changed much
How many extra touches in the box can we take? #toodamnmany #ARSSUN #AFCvSFC
— TDB (@TDB1726) May 20, 2015
How many times have you heard someone say “Arsenal just want to walk it into the net”. Well, not much has changed there.
The Gooners had 65 touches in Sunderland’s area tonight. We can only imagine how frustrating it is for Arsenal’s fans to see their team get so close to the goal, only to cut back inside and pass it back out of the box, or try and thread something through and see it cleared or go out for a goalkick.
Here's an idea. How about we shoot from outside the box once In a while #arsenal #afc #dontshootdontscore #AFCvSFC #ARSSUN #ARS #coyg
— bobby hussain (@boobster2013) May 20, 2015
5. It’s not just the Etihad
Is anybody actually at the Emirates? #ARSSUN
— Tom (@tj_evo) May 20, 2015
When the game kicked off it couldn’t have felt more like a pre-season friendly, and that was helped by a lot of empty seats.
Obviously everyone made the same joke.
Thought the game was at the Emirates not the etihad #ARSSUN
— RedMancunian7 (@thepoacher7) May 20, 2015
6. It would’ve made perfect sense for Sunderland to get relegated by an own goal
Sunderland have had more chance in scoring in there own goal than we have 😩
— Laurel (@lozz169) May 20, 2015
Billy Jones, who had a terrific night at right-back, almost sealed Sunderland’s relegation when he inadvertently headed an Arsenal cross back towards his own goal, only to see it hit the post.
If the Black Cats had been sent down by an own goal, it would have been very fitting – own goals are probably the only thing you’d associate with Sunderland this season.
7. Arsenal need Theo Walcott
Congratulations, @theowalcott! #AFCvSFC pic.twitter.com/KUijAUX4NO
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) May 20, 2015
Just before the 70th minute Arsene Wenger sent on his under-appreciated wide-man and asked him to do the business – he very almost did. Hector Bellerin had been Arsenal’s best player down the right, providing dangerous cross after dangerous cross, but width was still very much needed.
Walcott made one of his trademark out-to-in runs and very nearly scored because of it. You feel Arsenal need that extra dimension, given they own about six of the exact same type of player elsewhere on the pitch. Surely they won’t be letting him go?
8. Arsenal also need a world-class striker
This is what happens when you have a team full of playmakers and no finishers. #AFCvSFC
— Rawlins. (@JoshRawlins1) May 20, 2015
It’s been said everywhere over the last few months – that Olivier Giroud isn’t good enough for a team who want to challenge for the title, and it’s been painfully obvious over the last two games.
Giroud crafted one nice chance for himself, making the run he makes so succesfully across the near-post, and finishing cleverly, but Costel Pantilimon was in no mood to be beaten. Giroud is a good player, no one would disagree, but Arsenal need better – or something different – if they’re to go one better next season and challenge for the title.
Messi & Ronaldo score hat-tricks for fun against parked buses. #AFCvSFC
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 20, 2015
9. Dick Advocaat has done a very decent job
We need a larger, slower vehicle to accurately describe what Sunderland are parking here. Crane? Ferry? Death Star? #AFCvSFC
— Yakatak Football (@YakatakFootball) May 20, 2015
It feels like the Dutchman has only been in charge for a few weeks, but he’s already turned Sunderland’s defence completely around – so much so that you can almost believe John O’Shea was a Premier League winner with Man United all those years ago.
The manager deserves huge credit for doing what successive managers at the club couldn’t do – getting the team to work for each other defensively. Now to see whether he’ll be around to replicate it next year, and keep Sunderland from another nervy end of season finish.
Source: SNAPPA
