Why AC Milan's mental toughness may be too much for Arsenal
- Kaustubh Pandey(@Kaus_Pandey17)
And Milan would head into the clash confident enough of securing a result. The tie seems to be an equal one on paper. With Arsenal enriched by an attacking impetus and Milan now seeming like a more hungrier and grittier side under Rino Gattuso. But Arsenal would have to be wary of their opponents. Despite all that has been said and written about them after all the money they’ve spent, they are a force that have to be taken seriously.
Before Vincenzo Montella departed, the rossoneri were a club in tatters. Nothing was going right. FFP seemed to be closing in, the manager was gone and the performances were pathetic. And while Rino Gattuso did take a while in imposing himself on this side, he has done well to scale the climb upto seventh on the table, level on points with sixth placed Sampdoria.
The club seemed spiritless before Gattuso came in. There seemed to be an aimlessness about everything. The former Milan midfielder though, has changed things. This Milan side is full of verve, youth and above all, mental toughness. They seem to reflect the fiery character that Gattuso was as a player. They might play the most attractive brand of football, but they know how to dig in and fight things out.
And now that they have a settled formation, things seem to have settled as well. Leonardo Bonucci looks more like himself and Patrick Cutrone has been scoring goals on a regular basis too. There seems to be a certainty about things. And Gattuso will have the opportunity to prove his mettle against the Gunners soon enough.
It is the mental toughness of the rossoneri that Arsenal have been lacking since their Invincibles era went past. They hardly have commanding characters in the side. Characters who can lift the spirit of the team and inspire them. Arsene Wenger has been accused of not signing players like that and rightly so, they’d need it against Milan.
And that mental toughness could be a thing that can prove enough to hand Milan an advantage in the tie. They have the characters and mentality that Arsenal have been lacking for long under Wenger and Arsenal would have to stiffen themselves up, if they want to lock horns with Milan well enough. They can get blown away by their stiffness, toughness and the ability to dig in. They have the qualities that Arsenal don’t and the Gunners will be in for a tough time.