Last night wasn't just a bad one for Arsenal but a horrible one for our Spanish Left back, Nacho Monreal. He opened the scoring early in the game, taking his tally to four goals this season and two in two matches after his recent return from injury but it took him only about 45 seconds to kill that joy.
A long ball was launched into the Arsenal half of which he had the whole time in the world to do a lot of things.. First, he could play it back to the Petr Cech and when the Swansea player closed him down, shadow marking him towards our goal, he had all the space to cut back infield and play the ball forward. He instead allowed the ball to roll out for a throw. I was not done complaining as to why he did that when the camera quickly spotted Arsene Wenger shouting furiously at the Spaniard with his hands gesticulating to ear "why did you allow the ball roll out of play. We're just levelled and the game is still very fresh".
Like a messenger of doom, the throw was taken for Mustafi who indecisively waited to be closed down by an opposing attacker till he had no room and instead of clearing the ball out, he made a back pass towards Cech which was on the wrong angle from Cech and the veteran miscued branding the ball to the opponent to slot home. While both Cech and Mustafi can be faulted for the goal. The bulk of the blame (for me) still goes to Monreal. If he hadn't made such rash decision, the latter two wouldn't have had to deal with that situation.
As if that wasn't enough, he (Monreal) was responsible for. The goal that finally killed Arsenal's hope of a comeback when he missed an acrobatic clearance close to the Arsenal eighteen yard box and the rest is a sad story.
Nonetheless, for me, it doesn't take away the quality and consistency of the Spaniard. He just had a bad day and I'm sure hell bounce back. I just hope Wenger doesn't drop him in coming games.
That said, I really don't like that away Jersey we donned against Swansea. It carries for me, some kinda hard luck. I had this pessimistic feeling immediately I saw the team Jersey and it didn't look all good for me. Maybe it's Hugh time we stopped wearing that jersey...lol
While I was still chewing on the good news of Aubameyang having his medicals at Arsenal, it wasn't a debut Henrikh Mkhitaryan would have wished for but it happens. I just hope the two former Dortmund stars would not regret their coming to Arsenal.