No matter how technical the game gets, football will almost always remain a game of emotions and how players channel them.
Hence, when football returns to the Emirates this time, it will be a whole new challenge to play without a crowd who inspire, anger, irritate the players on the pitch.
Paul Merson feels that Arsenal’s defenders who are average on their best day will suffer from games being played behind closed doors.
The former Arsenal player said: “I worry for Arsenal. I watched the goals they let in against Brentford, and I worry about them playing behind closed doors. When you’re not a great defender and Arsenal has a few of them, not top drawer defenders, I think the fans keep you honest.
“I mean that they keep your concentration levels. You need the fans there to keep you concentrated. One of the goals against Brentford, David Luiz tries to play out, flick it over the lad’s head, and that’s not honest. The fans try to keep you honest.
“I think with Arsenal that’s going to be a little bit of a problem defensively. I think they will switch off behind closed doors with no crowd, and there could be mistake after mistake.”
“It is different. We grew up in an age of playing reserve team football at the stadium. If the first team were playing away, you’d be playing at home, at Highbury, and there would be one man and his dog there. Even though you’d psych yourself up, you still don’t get that push.
Do you agree with Merson?
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