International Break Comes at the Perfect Time for Arsenal After Tottenham Draw

With Arsenal on a strong run in the Premier League and joint top of the table, you’d think they’d want to continue their momentum rather than disperse for an international break. However, this interruption seems rather well-timed; against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, the Gunners looked like a team badly in need of a break.

The squad is stretched to breaking point. Heading into the game, Arsenal had a significant batch of senior players out with injury. Many of those eight are attackers, per Transfermarkt. Arsene Wenger’s teamsheet for the Spurs game did not include a recognised striker on the bench.

The players who comprise the first XI also looked exhausted. The likes of Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez have been run into the ground in recent weeks without suitable replacements to afford them the occasional rest.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

That level of fatigue was obvious in a laboured Arsenal display. While Spurs pressed high up the pitch, showing energy and ambition, the Gunners never quite got into gear. Tottenham had played on both Monday and Thursday yet still managed to look fresher than Wenger’s beleaguered squad.

That’s a hallmark of Mauricio Pochettino's teams but also suggests Arsenal were running on empty.

When Kieran Gibbs bundled home the equaliser in the 77th minute, it was something of a shock. With Tottenham leading 1-0, the visitors actually looked the more likely to score.

Arsenal’s goal owed much to the ingenuity of Mesut Ozil, who collected his 10th assist of the 2015/16 Premier League campaign. Cutting in from the right-hand side, he lofted a superb pass to the far post. Gibbs arrived and managed to place the ball beyond the back-pedalling Hugo Lloris.

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The very fact Gibbs was there tells you about the extent of Arsenal’s injury problems. The 26-year-old is the squad’s second-choice left-back but was called upon to replace Joel Campbell as a wide forward. He made an impactful cameo, but the situation is far from ideal. 

Wenger and the Arsenal fans will have two major wishes for the next fortnight.

First, they must pray no more players pick up injuries while away on international duty. Beyond that, they’ll hope they can reintroduce several stars back into the squad. The likes of Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Hector Bellerin should all be fit to return for the game at West Bromwich Albion on November 21.

Speaking to the club's official website, Wenger confirmed his dual hopes:

"

I hope during the international break we do not lose more, but we should get some back like Ramsey, like Chamberlain for maybe just after the break. Players like Sanchez, who have played many games, they go out and play two games again.

"

Dropping points against their local rivals is always disappointing, but Arsenal must reflect on the fact they’ve survived an injury-hit period without suffering a loss in the Premier League. Manchester City’s draw at Aston Villa meant they kept pace with the league leaders.

The Gunners now have a chance for some much-needed rest and recuperation. They may have disappointed against Tottenham, but following the international break, we should see the real Arsenal once again.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.