Five Key Takeaways from Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Sunderland

Here's Gooner print columnist Charlie Ashmore with his must-read verdict on Arsenal's draw at Sunderland 

1 - That was disappointing.......but (part 1)       

Let's bear in mind the context and not lose our heads.  We will be going into the third international break at least four points clear at the top and possibly six depending on how Liverpool and City get on - a draw would be lovely.   

We have lost two games fewer than anybody else.  We are unbeaten in eight League matches and 14 overall. 

I doubt there is anyone reading this who would not have been delighted to be told at the start of the season that is where we would be at this stage. 

That we have achieved it with so many players out - remember we had Gabi Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, Jesus, Noni Madueke and Martin Odegaard all unavailable on Saturday is extraordinary. 

So, while disappointment is natural and legitimate, let's not all go full meltdown - these things happen over a long season in what remains the most difficult of the major Leagues to win.

2 - First half lack of control    

That is not to say we cannot look at what went wrong yesterday. 

That first half was unlike anything we have seen this season.   

We allowed Sunderland to play the game they wanted and failed to take control in the way we have been able to hitherto. 

From the off they were like a team of whirling dervishes. 

The stadium was up for it big time, their press was ferocious and we just couldn't get the control we are used to having.  That is partly down to us not imposing ourselves but also in huge part down to the opposition who had a game plan and executed it superbly. 

They made us look uncomfortable and that is testament to their manager and their team. 

Their position in the table is no accident and we must hope that when rivals play there they get the same treatment.

3    That's what defensive wobbles look like    

So good have we been defensively that the idea of anyone having the temerity to shoot on target has been laughable. 

We have snuffed even the merest hint of a chance in previous matches.  On Saturday we weren't able to do that. We defended neither goal at the level we have come to expect. 

For the first goal, having watched it again and again (as I am sure the team will be forced to do), Declan Rice did not do anywhere near enough.  He was weak on the first header and the way former Arsenal academy defender Dan Ballard then runs off him is just too easy. 

I think Gabriel could have done more to challenge the second header which laid it back into Ballard's path. 

For the second goal, William Saliba could do better for the first header, David Raya makes a poor decision to come when Gabi is there and Gabi just lets Brobbey get there first. 

Small margins but on this occasion, enough.

4 - Why just the one sub?

I think there is an obvious question to be asked here. 

Our only sub was Mosquera. After he came on we sat back a bit and handed Sunderland the initiative.  We trusted the defence to hold out.  Yet it remains a truism that the further from your own goal the ball is the harder it is for the opposition to score.   

I think Mikel Arteta will rightly be looking at himself in the aftermath and wondering whether he could have made some changes further forward to bring fresh energy and give us options to keep the ball further away from our goal. 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and if we had hung on nobody would be asking. But, again, it's the details and Arteta prides himself on attention to them.  Maybe a reminder to him about making full use of the squad players which until yesterday he had done very well.

5 - That was disappointing.....but (part 2)

The second half performance was so much better than the first. 

We ended the game with seven shots on target, to Sunderland's two. The save and block at the death were superb to deny Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino, while Martin Zubimendi was so unlucky to hit the woodwork.  

Eight times out of 10 we would have won that match. Even giving full credit to Sunderland for their tireless performance, we did enough to win that match.  We didn't and that happens.   

We have players en route back from injury and as the season gears up post international break we have a tough week then another run of fixtures we should be looking to extract maximum points from.   

So we go away, we lick what after all is only a small flesh wound, and we regroup in two weeks and we go again.