Wenger left in need of a comeback

As Aaron Lennon was rounding Wojciech Szczesny to put Tottenham Hotspur two goals up on Arsenal, Arsene Wenger looked on in horror. As Spurs' players and staff celebrated, Wenger, having stood stock-still for a moment, made his way back to his seat. He stopped to aim a kick at the floor, and uttered a Gallic swearword. When half-time came, his head shook all the way down the White Hart Lane tunnel. Ten days previously, when Arsenal faced Bayern Munich, he had been similarly angry. After the game, he spent 30 minutes alone in a room before facing the press. 

In the second half at Spurs, Wenger's team played better. These days, they always do when they are behind. There is a residual spirit among them. It just appears too late too often. It might even happen in Munich, but barring one of European football history's greatest comebacks, it will not be enough. 

Wenger's repeated explanations of the psychological problem his team has when starting a game bear significant credence, but he is still yet to speak of a solution. After the North London derby, his protestations of dominating possession rang hollow. He was forced to admit that in the areas it most mattered, "in the front and in the back", his team had been second-best. 

In the meantime, Wenger faces the deepest doubts of his managerial career. Comparisons with the previous season can be made, and Wenger pulled his team from their hole that time. Tottenham were reeled back in, their fans' collection of ‘Mind the Gap' T-shirts and banners consigned to the drawer and withdrawn from sale. 

Both clubs lost stars in the summer. For all the talk of the effect of Robin van Persie's heading to Manchester, Tottenham lost Luka Modric, Rafael van der Vaart and Ledley King - playmaker, key attacking midfielder and inspirational captain. Arsenal also lost Alex Song, the purported anchorman whose best work was done in supplying assists to Van Persie, but simply put, Spurs bought better. Lukas Podolski has shown little beyond his known ability to strike the ball, and for all Santi Cazorla's excellence, he has not lifted Arsenal. Olivier Giroud is honest and hard-working but no Van Persie. 

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