Statistics betray Arsenal's weakness

Apologies to anyone expecting an Arsenal Truth match report from Saturday's game against Everton. I woke up Saturday morning to find my PC was dead, and as a result spent the whole weekend looking for a replacement and only saw the match highlights that evening.

I was in a high street retailers at 3:45 on Saturday afternoon. Sky Sports was on, and their ticker service revealed the half-time scoreline, Arsenal 0 Everton 1. I laughed, with genuine amusement but faint disgust. The scoreline was so Arsenal 2008.

When you read Arsenal's goalscoring statistics in all competitions for the current campaign, they state P12, F33, A7. Armed with those facts, you would assume that Arsenal would be riding high, and not the shambolic defensive mess they actually are. Arsenal could have easily been 2-0 down before half time, after Manuel Almunia proved why it's better for him to stay pinned to his goal line rather than attempt to claim a cross; Gael Clichy having to clear off the line on this occasion.  More worrying is that Arsenal's defensive malaise has yet to be fully exposed due to the generally low calibre of teams the club has so-far faced this season. For a title-challenging team, it's been a dream start fixture-wise, but patchy performances on the pitch prove that Arsenal are no nearer to fulfilling their lofty ambitions.

It all goes to prove how statistics never tell the whole story.

Comments on the Everton game from the highlights I saw? Nasri is the new Pires. Statistics never tell the whole story, but here's a good one. In the Premier league, Nasri - played 5:scored 2. Hleb - played 89:scored 7. Adding a third Champions league goal to Nasri's tally, and you can be hopeful that by the time Nasri has played 89 games for Arsenal, he will have scored between 20-30 goals. That's what you need from a midfielder, 10-15 goals a season. A great buy. 

Otherwise, the only other thing that really stood out from watching the Everton highlights was Denilson's feeble lack of effort tracking back Everton's attacking midfielders. He would fit in well at Tottenham at the moment - a team packed with talented players, who just so happen to have no winning mentality. I hate lazy players, especially 20-year-olds who should be able to run all day but can't be bothered.

Tonight, Arsenal play Fenerbahce in the third Champions League group match. The Turks have had a dreadful start to the season, especially for a team that has won 4 titles in the past 7 years.  The club is enjoying its most successful era since the 1960s. However, Fenerbahce has already lost 4 league games the season - their worst start ever. Last season they only lost 5 in 38. It's clear that the club are conceding a lot of goals while they struggle to adapt to the tactics of new manager, Spanish racist Luis Aragones.

Wenger claims Aragones is not a racist, but it's worth remembering the ex-Spain manager's comments to the ex-Arsenal player Jose Reyes back in 2004 whilst on International duty. Of Thierry Henry, Aragones remarked to Reyes, "Tell that negro de mierda (shitty black) that you are much better than him. Don't hold back, tell him. Tell him from me. You have to believe in yourself, you're better than that negro de mierda."

Wenger is wrong to defend Aragones.

Some pundits believe tonight will be a stroll in the park for Arsenal against Fenerbahce's struggling side, and there's no doubt that this is a good time to be playing a team that is normally very strong at home. But whilst Fenerbahce are capable of being ripped apart by Arsenal, you have to wonder how the Gunner's young players will react to the ultra-hostile atmosphere of the Saracoğlu Stadium. Especially when you look at Arsenal's defence; comedic at the best of times, injuries to Sagna, Toure and Gallas leave it looking pretty threadbare. Eboue, Song, Silvestre, Clichy looks like the probable line-up, in which case Johanne Djourou must already be wondering wonder why he signed a new contract several weeks ago.

Is Fenerbahce's bad start to the league campaign a mere blip? Hard to say, is Arsenal's? Both clubs have leaked quality players over the last few seasons and failed to replace them.

What I do know is that if I ever saw a game of which the outcome was dependent on player mentality, it's this one.

If Fenerbahce fail to pull their socks up and turn the tide tonight, Arsenal could beat them comfortably - but it's just as likely that Arsenal will succumb to the intense atmosphere, particularly if they concede first - as they often do. A fight back could prove very difficult against what could become a resurgent Fenerbahce team keen to repay their supporters after a dreadful start to the season.

On the flip side, Fenerbahce don't know the meaning of the word "defend". If Arsenal are clinical on the counter there will be goals for the taking.