As Arsenal strive for perfection, whether it be for total dominance over 90 minutes or the creation of the beautiful goal, their Utopian efforts are admired around the world. Yet it is also their greatest weakness. They do not win ugly and it has proved costly.
Still, like a leopard and its spots, Arsenal cannot and will not change. Even after the 6-2 destruction of Derby County at Pride Park on Monday, Cesc Fàbregas, the Spain midfield player, saw more reason for self-analysis than congratulation. “Yes, it was a good performance,” he said. “But there are still things to correct, to get better for next season. We can still improve a lot. We did well, but we conceded a goal from a set-piece again.
“And then, controlling the game as we were doing, we conceded the second goal. I don't think that we can allow teams to score these kinds of goals when we are having the ball 90 per cent of the game. We know that we can score when we push forward, but we still need to improve defensively. Sure, we are harsh on ourselves. It's not as if they [Derby] scored great goals. If we had defended well as a team, they would not have scored any.”
Fàbregas's comments are admirable in a profession in which the leading exponents often disappear in a cloud of self-delusion. Yet had Arsenal scrapped more and eked out extra victories that were uneasy on the eye, they might lie alongside Manchester United and Chelsea in a three-pronged race for the Barclays Premier League title.
Instead, they are four points off the pace with two matches left. Fàbregas does believe, though, that the hard lessons have been learnt and that Arsenal will emerge all the wiser after their frustrating campaign, the third in a row without a significant trophy.
“We can see the games against Birmingham City at home [1-1], Birmingham away [2-2] and Aston Villa at home [1-1] where we can regret that we didn't get more points,” Fàbregas said. “If we could have had these points that normally if you want to win the title you have to get, then we would be at the top.
“But we can learn from it. Definitely. Because we are young, because we want to play, because we are hungry for titles. We will improve for next season. In fact, I would say that it has already started for us. In our last two games we know that we have started a new season. For us, it is now.”
Fàbregas, the Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year, did indulge in a spot of make-believe: that United and Chelsea would pick up no more than one point each from their last two fixtures and that Arsenal would win both of theirs and secure the domestic crown. “We still believe that, in life, nothing is impossible,” he said. “We will wait right to the end.”
As did Emmanuel Adebayor, the Arsenal striker. He scored his second hat-trick of the season against Derby, after replacing Robin van Persie at half-time, and took his tally in this campaign to 30 goals. “The title race is not over,” Adebayor said. “I am praying for a miracle now, but miracles do happen. It is not too late for something amazing to happen.”
Deep down, neither expects United or Chelsea to collapse. Nor do they envisage another season concluding with a whimper. “It might have been easy just to look at the table and give up on trying to be champions,” Adebayor said. “But that is not who we are. What was also important is that we sent out a message to our rivals that, despite all the disappointments we have had in the past couple of months, we are sticking together and showing that we are getting better.
“This season we may end up with nothing, but it will not look the same this time next year.”
