With Chelsea having opened up such a substantial lead at the top of the Premier League, the Blues have really thrown down the gauntlet to their rivals - any slip up and your title aspirations could be over.
It looked like Arsenal's pursuit was about to veer off course on Sunday as Burnley snatched a late equaliser. However, Lady Luck was certainly shining down on the Emirates turf, as the Gunners were awarded a fortuitous late penalty, which was converted by Alexis Sanchez, breathing fresh life into their season.
Their unlikely victory was made all the more impressive as they played much of the second half with 10 men, after Granit Xhaka’s inexplicable challenge on Steven Defour saw him given his marching orders, his second red card of the season, which means a four-match ban for the Switzerland international.
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It seems somewhat foolish to suggest that Xhaka’s moment of red mist – his ninth sending off since April 2014 – could be the moment that sees the wheels come off yet another Arsenal title bid. But when you consider one of those games that Xhaka will miss is a trip to Chelsea, coupled with the dearth of replacements in holding midfield, that needless dismissal really could have that catastrophic an effect, with Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and even Arsene Wenger himself potentially heading for the exits in the summer.
Santi Cazorla’s absence has been particularly tough to overcome. The diminutive Spaniard orchestrates things from deep, and makes the team tick, but he is no stranger to the decor of the treatment room, which is why Wenger bolstered that area of his squad with the big money arrival of Xhaka in the summer.
Mohamed Elneny will also be missing due to African Cup of Nations commitments, while Francis Coquelin still looks like Patrick Vieira one minute, Amaury Bischoff the next.
That’s your lot for midfield anchors. Coquelin is the only one available for the next four games. The likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey are the other options to fulfil the role of the midfield two Wenger likes to deploy, and neither are every remotely adept at defending.
The biggest loser in all of this is Ramsey, who is anything but a midfield metronome. The Wales international has often reiterated his desire to play in the No. 10 role, or at least in an advanced position, where he was so effective for his country in the European Championships last summer.
Ramsey covered 11.57km on Saturday, over a kilometre more than anyone else in an Arsenal shirt, while making more blocks than any team-mate.
In normal circumstances, one of the wide-forwards or full-backs would cover such ground, but the fact Ramsey did so shows how his desire to get forward cannot be suppressed.
The league’s best anchor men
You cannot underestimate the crucial role that the midfield anchor plays. For all the praise Diego Costa has garnered, as Chelsea have opened up a commanding lead at the top of the table, N’Golo Kante deserves as much, if not more, credit.
Only five players average more tackles per game than Kante in the Premier League, but it is his incredible energy and intense pressing game that makes him such a pivotal asset. Further proof of Kante's omnipresent usefulness can be seen when you look at what has happened to Leicester since the Frenchman's departure.
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It isn’t just Chelsea who benefit from a having skilled protector in front of the back four. Even in the twilight years of his career, Michael Carrick is as important as anyone to Manchester United. A win percentage of 85 per cent with him, compared to 52 without him, in 2016, is frankly astounding.
Fernandinho's role at Manchester City often goes understated, but sometimes a player has to be absent for his value to be appreciated, and fans are seeing just how vulnerable City look without their Brazilian anchor.
What next for Xhaka
The additional responsibility on Xhaka’s shoulders, due to the hefty price tag the club paid for him and Elneny and Cazorla’s absence, should have been at the forefront of his mind when going into a 50:50 challenge on the half-way line.
“Intelligence says you don’t make the same mistake twice,” proclaimed Wenger after Xhaka’s red card against Swansea in October. Back to school for the £30m then, where explaining the lasting damage to Arsenal’s title tilt is a must in order to curb his ways.
There is time to rectify any further points dropped in these four games Xhaka will be suspended for, but Arsenal fans don’t want another season finishing second, most likely above Tottenham after a late resurgence – a well-versed script on these shores – they want the big prize, and falling any further behind Chelsea will mean it will take the collapse of all collapses to see them overturn the widening gap.
What have you done, Granit?
