One team in London

Well that was nice wasn’t it!

I have to say though I am torn this morning between reading articles about how ‘Ruthless Arsenal have finally come of age’ or how ‘Chelsea’s dip has become a decline’. Tough.

"Mum! We beat Chelsea! Muuuuuum!"

Seriously though it was pretty universally acknowldged that we needed something special to turn our Chelsea hoodoo around and Arsenal really turned up with the goods. Early on we were finding our balance between controlled and charged with attack – though it should be said that this feet-finding was never sloppy, always contained – but as the half grew, we grew as well and the goal that started it off (that special Arsenal combo of scrappy and genius) was more than deserved.

It sent a tense stadium into something approaching delirium (if only we knew what was to come) and the whole-ground screaming which accompanied our every attack just before the goal more than qualified the bedlam that came after it. It was the best atmosphere I’ve ever seen at the Emirates and long may it last but it’s a two-way thing. Cheesy pre-match video montages sit much better when the game afterwards is as bad boy as it was yesterday.

The game wasn’t without the odd anxious moment but a deeply professional performance from Arsenal saw that chances of any genuine importance didn’t really get to materialise. We harried and Chelsea’s rhythm curdled. Even then though the crowd should be forgiven for their nerves after half-time, 1-0 up has been meat and drink to opposition in the past, but if they jogged out late then the first breath of the 2nd half dispelled any sense that we were going to stand off. The moment Chelsea kicked off Cesc sprinted into the ball – it mimicked a certain goal from kick-off in a North London derby last season – and set the attitude which won it for us yesterday. Our. Park. Our. Ball!

Admittedly after the two goals had put us in cloud cuckoo land Arsenal had times when we struggled to keep posession. Especially after the goal was conceded a anxiety fed some breathlessness in us keeping possession and you got some sense in the last half hour that the team tired, perhaps emotionally more than anything else. But we held out and could have had a fourth had Nasri been alive to it and Diaby put a bit more behind his chance. Chelsea’s lack of cohesion in attack was not all their own making, however much we should enjoy eulogising their brave loyal title-challenge, it was just as much to our credit that they never got going – we didn’t let them.

Now, inevitably talk turns to whether we can keep this up. Let’s be clear, yesterday isn’t yet the beginning of a title-challenge, it’s a credible place from which to mount one and a great psychological statement of intent. Crucially for the fans and the collective emotions, it was a step forward that was directly of our own making – not as a result of other’s slippage. If someone’s going to win the league that’s what they need, to step up and start excelling on their own terms.We’ve hinted that if we meet our potential in effort and confidence then we can do that but we all knew that already didn’t we. It’s doing the do that counts and doing it consistently.

Which is no small feat because this little fortnight off is now followed by a punishing schedule of games. It’s only just over a week until we play City next Wednesday but before then we’ve got to play Wigan away (remember that one?) and Birmingham at St Andrews. not easy fixtures and it’s a breathless schedule but it’s the kind of challenge you should hunger for if you’re really going to win titles. It’s also a pretty perfect time for us to face an onslaught. We’re high on positivity and belief and given that Chamakh & Andrey effectively will have had 2 and a half week’s breather means we shouldn’t be hungover in attack either.

Finally, a word to the Chelsea fans. In good song as you’d expect, they could be forgiven for wanting to pre-empt a few chants against their brave loyal men but they really set a tone with singing about Jack Wilshere hitting girls. Not being funny or anything but, I’m sure he doesn’t. It’s just not accepted wisdom guys. Neither is Robin van Persie really consistently still thought of as a rapist. From where I was sitting we went pretty easy on their players, brave loyal John Terry (definitely the best professional fouler I’ve ever seen play) included. Kudos for returning ‘Stand up for the Arsenal’ with ‘Stand up for the Champions’ but did you all need to leave so quickly before the end? Apart, of course, from the bright sparks who wanted to have a scuffle outside the stadium. Honestly, they’re a classy bunch.

Still, the tears of South Londoners got drowned out pretty quickly when you’re under the Hornsey road railway bridge and someone starts singing…

ONE TEAM IN LONDON!………