This Arsenal team:
- Knows how to fight as a team;
- Knows how to fight as a team, without jeopardising our style of football;
- Knows how to deal with unexpected/unjust adversity by regaining its fighting spirit and focus;
- Knows how to gradually make its superiority count by using its style of football to punish developing frailties in the opponents’ football as a result of fatigue;
- Knows how to kill off its pray by taking the game by the scruff of the neck when the opportunity arises, and not letting the opponent back in again.
Wow, what a fantastic performance by Arsenal yesterday. We had to battle with West Ham all over the pitch, and boy did they give us a fight. I was so proud of the boys with regards to the way they put their bodies on the line, and harassed the Hammers for every ball at least as much as they tried to harass us.
Once we had shown West Ham we would match them physically all day long, we managed to win the psychological battle as well. This was so important yesterday, as too often in the past we were found wanting for these sort of contests (usually played out in the North, mind you!).
The important, and oh so impressive thing was, though; we never gave up on our desire to play proper, 21st century football, in the meantime. We matched the Hammers in the grinding out department, but kept passing the ball round and creating chances through the oh-so-familiar Arsenal patterns.
The brain, the conductor, the general, the playmaker; Cazorla was a joy to behold yesterday, and what a truly great player Arsene has signed for us: not just technically and tactically, but especially mentally – in terms of motivation and joie de vivre/ joie de foot. He is the antidote to the mercenary as he puts the likes of Tevez, Nasri, Balotelli, etc to shame with his never-say-die attitude and sacrifices for the team. A top player!
Nevertheless, despite all our battling qualities and ability to create chances, it was the Hammers who scored first through a piece of individual magic: Diame’s curling, ‘boomerang’ shot was first class, although questions should be asked why he was able to have so much space in our box once he had tricked Ramsey to free himself up. Diame looks like a fine player and one to keep an eye on…
As a result of this setback, we had to face the second big ‘team-character test’: trying to find renewed resolve to keep battling away, and keep believing we can still win the game, despite conceding a goal totally against the run of play in an away fixture. In the past, Arsenal was more than once not able to deal with such adversity, but yesterday we showed no such psychological frailties. This is an absolute necessity if we are to win something this season, and we should take real comfort from it.
Our equaliser was the just reward for our resolve, as Giroud stretched his body to the limit to poach Podolski’s aggressive cross into the Hammers goal. Both the assist maker and the goal scorer gave their all to score this goal, and that’s why we were able to equalise at a very important point of the game.
In the second half we rode our luck more than a bit: both Carroll and Nolan should really have done better with their opportunities. However, once we got over that there was no looking back.
In the latter stages of the game, West Ham could clearly not maintain the high tempo and their formational discipline of the first 60 minutes, and soon Arsenal was in total control. For the second time running, our substitutions really made a difference, as we were able to take full advantage of the tired legs and the subsequent bigger and bigger spaces that opened up for us.
Our second goal was absolute beauty of a team goal. The tireless Cazorla made a quick turn deep in our own half to cleverly pass the ball forward; via the impressive Giroud the ball is passed from the midfield to Theo, who uses both his speed and predatory instincts to advance towards the WH goal: his finish was clinical/quality, and his celebration for the goal should give us all hope in terms of him signing a new contract soon.
Cazorla, who, until then, had been impressive in absolutely every aspect of midfield play except for his shots on goal efforts, finally got it right in the last 10 minutes of the game with a thunderous strike in the top corner of the WH goal from just outside the box. He deserved a goal more than anybody else on the night and it was good to see justice done.
So, Arsenal took its chances to kill of its pray with both hands and after that made sure we saw the game out professionally by introducing Koscielny as a third CB.
This was a difficult game to win, especially after WH got a goal totally against the run of play. West Ham had nothing to lose, were full of confidence after recent results, and Allardyce had no doubt instructed his players to get physical with us. They also had a good game plan to make our life difficult. But we overcame every hurdle in front of us and finished the game with stylish football.
This was just the sort of performance and result we needed badly after the Chavs’ defeat and before another seemingly endless interlul of international football. The boys did us proud!
Total Arsenal.
Bergkampesque 
RA wrote (in previous post): “All the team, including the Theo deserve high marks, (if you will be doing ratings tomorrow). The only slight ‘mark downs’ would be Mannone [6] and the Gerv [6].
Cazza, Arteta and The Corp Jenks deserve at least 8′s.
AW cannot drop Giroud now.
Really great performance and to think we have so many NOT in the first team starting against West Ham (Sagna, Le Coq, Arshavin, Santos, Kozzer, Rosicki, the OX, Szcesney, Djourou) then that is a great squad developing!!”
Hi Redders 🙂
As I watched the game with my dad, it was not appropriate to make notes for player ratings, but I roughly agree with yours.
Re Giroud: it worked really well yesterday and it was good to see that we can get goals from other sources than the Podolski-Gervinho goal machine. However, the fluid-three (Gerv, Pod, Theo/The Ox) has worked really well too. But you could be right that Giroud cannot be dropped after that great performance: next game is against Norwich away, so would make sense! 🙂
Herb wrote (in previous post):
“Very impressive result and performance to go with it. I like the fact that we have a German organising our defensive line, and for me, Mertersaker would have been a perfect choice for the captaincy.
We have a busy November with MU and Everton away as well as Tottenham at home, so it’s essential to get some momentum going.”
Hi Herb 🙂
Fully agreed on Mertesacker. Him, Cazorla and Arteta have become the natural leaders, but especially the big friendly German has all what it takes to be our captain.
Also agreed on momentum. Unfortunately, we have to endure another interlul now! 😦
Cmoon man, you mentioned Arsenals strength in depth and never mentioned Wilshere?!
Go sit in the corner and think about what you’ve done!
Hi Total 🙂
Hope your enjoying your mountaineering break in the Dutch Alps ! hahaha……… or if your back to your english home , then welcome back !.
My feet are still firmly on the ground, as although that was an entertaining match and we had the lions share of the possession and shots/corners etc, WH missed more gilt edged chances imo and although our football got what it deserved, it could have turned sour.
According to BBC stats : 20 shots, 14 on target , thats ok, but the bit which concerned me was the corner stats : 16 of them, but I cant remember a chance from them, their £35m CB loanee was top draw ! hahaha.
Also, I must have counted somewhere between 6 to 10 crosses coming to the back post to no avail and quite a few to the near post which resulted in just one goal. So do we play tippy tappy football around the box or keep putting in the crosses ( not inc` corners ) in ?.
Right off to Zzzzzzzzzzzz, I`ll leave it too your tactical brain !. hahaha
22:47pm @ 07/10/2012
Agent glic signing off .
I need a Secret Agent name, I`m sure Redders will come up with something appropriate !. hahaha
The Thing !
Glic Dastardly !
Doh, that tourettes thing is there again ! hahaha
22:48pm
Hi big dawg 🙂
I reckon Red Arse forgot about him as well as Diaby. I am sure he would agree with you on JW10! 🙂
Hi GLiC, fully agreed on the crosses and corners. In fact, I am starting to get bored about our corners. We just have this aura about us that we will not score from a corner rain or shine. I’d rather we play them short…. 🙂
Re Hammers chances, I agree, and that’s why I said we rode our luck at times. Still believe we deserved our win, but our defence needs to become a lot tighter than that.
Fabulous news about your grandson (I read your comment on AA). Sleep well my friend! 🙂
I agree with you about Diame.. just don’t know the price.. will be a good stuff for us..
But if Coq and Kos play maybe we didn’t need to suffered that goal..
Santi Cozorla and Arteta.. Can say nomore about our pair midfielders.. Speechless..
Hope Wilshere and Arshavin will be good enough to cover up..
I saw elclasico lastnight.. what a game..
We deserve a point again chelsea lastweek..
I think only Arsenal and Chelsea can beat this two club..
Go gunners..
A calamitous omission. I will go and self flagellate, immediately. 🙂
Oh my gawd, another dreadful omission. I have sent for a conical dunce’s hat from Amazon and will sit in the corner until I have repented my sins!! 🙂
Well said Henry! I enjoyed last night’s game too ………………. absolutely first class by both teams.
Hi Henry 🙂
How’s life treating you in Indonesia?
I have recorded the Iberian Diving Fest and look forward to watching it. Instead of Wilshere and Arshavin, I would say Wilshere and Diaby or Wilshere and Rosicky, or Wilshere and Rambo, and I reckon any combination – fully fit – would do well for us if and when Cazorla and Arteta need a rest. But you are right: they are both excellent and we are lucky to have them in our team at this stage of their careers! 🙂
Wonderful post match Post, TA. 🙂
I agree with pretty much everything you so eloquently wrote (are you sure you are not English?) 🙂
The Glicster made a point which you also touched upon referring to the Wham chances they did not put away, thank goodness. And that leads me to repeat a view I have held for a long time, and that is the ‘zonal marking’ is only effective if there is total cohesion between the defenders.
I cannot think of any ‘big’ team using that system rather than man marking, which gives an indication that zonal marking is fraught with potential problems.
I am not saying our defenders lack responsibility, but too often the oppo forwards have had a clear chance, especially in the air, with everyone leaving the ball to someone else, or the smallest defender taking the ‘zone’ up against the biggest opposition forward.
The result is that there is an element of confusion, compounded by the fact that big forwards are having a running and leaping advantage over our smaller CBs, with the exception of the Mert.
To prove this for yourself, suspend a balloon above your head, preferably outdoors 🙂 and see how high you can jump from a standing position; then take two or three paces back and leap for the balloon and see how much higher you can get. It’s just a physical fact!
What do other teams prefer? Well they tend to the man marking model, with jostling, shirt pulling, blocking and all the other ‘tactics’ that goes with that. [A lot of it seems like cheating] – but if the FA don’t stamp on this hard we should use it too, in my opinion! 🙂
Good morning RA 😛
Very good points re our style of defending. I am no expert, but like you, I feel uncomfortable with zonal marking and I can only see it work over time; as a result of a team gradually gelling together. But players often get injured or suspended and the intuitive understanding between the defenders (and other players) can easily be harmed as a result.
I wonder why Bould/Wenger have opted for it?
Indonesia is okay.. nice as usual..
except rainy season is not coming yet.. A little bit hot nowaday..
Yes it a great new to hear Rosicky is coming soon..
We owe him last season for being third place.. He did verywell last season..
Hope he and also Wilshere will back stronger.. like Diaby and Ramsey did..
I heard some rumour said that we are chasing for Falcao..??
I don’t really see it to be true.. 35-50 million euro is really out of our range..
Yes.. Falcao is very dangerous striker.. Top scores for this week..
But are we really willing to spend that big..??
The bad news is.. City is seriously chasing a new striker for repleace Baloteli and also Dzeko..
Mancini is really upset for not getting RvP.. And they can’t stand any longer for Baloteli..
With their ambition to win Champion and EPL.. they have to faced that Chelsea and us is getting stronger.. and them unfortunately is getting weaker..
Only grazy and selfish club like City, Chelsea and PSG.. can afford a 50 million deal..
Chelsea I think will go for Neymar.. another 50 million deal..
PSG will slow down a little bit after a crazy buying..
The good news is.. they will be too many strikers in City squad..
And I hope Dzeko will be off.. and sell cheap..
And we can bring him in.. He is good.. And Wenger will make him a star..
After the last game again westham..I do think Wenger is right to put Walcott as a right winger..
Walcott have speed and verygood in that possition.. Giroud is better for striker than Walcott..
But If he insist to play as a striker.. and for some reason just do not match with Wenger vision..
And if he really want to go.. that I hope not.. we must sign Isco..
He is a good tandem for Cozorla.. they used to work together as a team is Malaga..
Any opinion..??
Hi Henry,
I am working on a new post at the moment, but thanks for your in-depth comment. I will think it over and get back to you later! 🙂
New Post! 🙂