match report – Page 5 – Bergkampesque

Cardiff review: Arsene’s trust in Bendtner pays off

January 1, 2014January 1, 2014TotalArsenal

Arsenal 2 – Cardiff City nil — Never a Doubt… 😆

Having missed the request to write a match preview, I wrote the following hoping that our fearless leader (on holiday in Scotland) might be available for a late post. Alas, it didn’t happen. But still, some of the questions seemed prescient (if I say so myself, and I do… 😉 )

(Preview Title…) Are We Deep Enough to Cope with Injuries and Illness and Rotation as We Enter 2014?

Arsenal, the best team in England in calendar year 2013, begin the new year top of the table but with question marks. Cardiff City, in our home ground, with only a caretaker manager, and coming off a very disappointing late draw vs Sunderland, would seem an automatic three points, but, in the English Premier League, nothing can be guaranteed.

Our most productive midfielders, Mesut Özil and Aaron Ramsey, are missing, as is our workhorse up front, Olivier Giroud. Many have argued that the only reason we’re still top of the table has been the remarkable production of those three players. Can we cope without them and will our offense create the chances necessary to see off a team which might be compared to a wounded animal?

Late reports suggest Ole Gunnar Solksjaer will be taking the Cardiff job. Will the players selected today be auditioning in a merely technical fashion for the new manager or will they be showing that they’ve got the grit and drive to steal a result from a weakened Arsenal team? Finally, the weather to start the year in London appears on the heavy side. It might not be as bad as it was for the Chelsea match 9 days ago and the Cardiff defense is probably not as tight, but our offense has been known to stutter when conditions aren’t ideal. Can we still make chances and goals with our re-arranged attack or will this one be another close, low scoring affair?

Today’s line-up appears a strong one, given the injuries–plenty of attack with both Poldolski and Walcott (carrying a knock?) in there. The bench offers options as well with Bendtner and Gnabry as well as Rosicky and Ryo Miyachi available if we’re still chasing a result. Still, by opting for both Arteta and Flamini as cover ahead of the back four, it appears that Wenger is thinking “defense first.” Can this be achieved against a Cardiff team with “nothing to lose?” Can the offense click without its spearhead Giroud? And I don’t refer only to his hair…

Bergkampesque welcomes your comments on these questions as the match plays out as well as afterwards. Please join us… 😀

Well, that’s what I was hoping to post, plus the (confirmed) line-ups…Instead we had to continue with only Gerry’s match report from the 1 goal victory at Newcastle… So, what transpired? Did any of the questions (above) get answered?

Hmmm…

I could do the minute by minute thing (to remind us of our frustrations) but instead I’ll talk about patterns and try to answer my own questions (comment writers please add yours!…)

The weather WAS heavy and comments on my television feed suggested that there was ample wind to go with the rain. And, similar to the Chelsea match, basic mistakes were on display. An early pattern was set with long (and misplaced) passes to Theo Walcott being the principal area of attack, mostly from deeper lying Santi Cazorla, ostensibly starting from a left wing position. Arsenal appeared happy to cede possession to Cardiff and there was very little pressing from the front, with both front man, Poldolski, and “hole” player, Wilshere, happy to follow Cardiff passes at a trot.

This strategy seemed almost uniquely ill-suited to match conditions but so too did the more intricate passing that seemed on tap as we tired of losing possession with the longer ones. Cardiff time wasting seemed more and more effective with each passing minute and served to subdue the home crowd. That Cardiff were able to draw the only save of the half, albeit a basic one at the near post from Szczesny, did not help to buoy our hopes. As the half drew to a close Poldolski dropped deeper, almost as a midfield outlet while frustrations in basic play from Walcott, Wilshere and Cazorla continued. The dual pivot of Flamini and Arteta were largely untroubled by the Cardiff attack (a single point clearly would have been seen as a huge victory) but we created not a single shot on target in the first period and only 2 corners from which we also didn’t threaten.

I guess I should mention the penalty shout where Wilshere kept his feet as Medel missed the ball and likely got Jack with not one but two swings. The fact that our man kept his feet for the first tackle probably undermined his claim as he fell on the second. I didn’t hear boos as the players left the pitch, but the home support was clearly underwhelmed; 63% possession was the only sign of any sort of dominance. We most certainly didn’t look like league leaders, to my eye at least…

The 2nd period began much as the first: bad weather, bad football from Arsenal. The pitch was taking pace off the ball but it was also lacking in our movement. With little speed (beyond Theo) or size, early calls for the likes of Rosicky and Bendtner seemed obvious.

Wenger, as any oddsmaker would have predicted, allowed the first group to persist until the 65th minute before those subs were made. The supporters, less patient by nature, twisted in the wind (and rain) and tried to create a sense of greater urgency. In the smallest of ways they were rewarded as more of the match was played closer to the Cardiff goal with shots and corners starting to come and fewer balls out of play. Our better play in this part of the match was down our left (Poldolski, Cazorla and Monreal working well together), but still we were constrained to high angled shots. Wilshere also did well from the same side during this period, forcing corners and having a shot hit the post. Still, Cardiff was able to run the clock down whenever they could.

Finally, keeper Marshall finally got a yellow card in the 60th minute for his time-wasting. A talking point was an uncalled handball by Monreal (in the 54th) very close if not in our own 18 yard box. Little Gary Medel, charged with marking the center of our attack got his yellow card in the 58th and was soon after withdrawn, which perhaps was a key. Wilshere certainly looked better immediately. One thing I will say is that the time wasting (very well executed by Cardiff) only served to antagonize the home support. Perhaps it’s a hardier bunch who brave the bad weather after the midnight merry-making (and against the lowly, and lower priced, C-ticket class opponent)?…

When the subs did come the urgency notched up just that little bit more and the increase in size up front and pace in MF made our attack more familiar looking. A clearance from Monreal which Bentdner got an awkward (Giroud-esque?) head to was well cheered as it kept our forward move alive. Frustration, however, continued, with not one but two Mertesacker headers put wide of the left post. Overall, however, there was extra bite in our counters and the threat from the 10 2nd half corners we earned was increasing. Merely having an extra big target (Bendtner in addition to Mertesacker) seemed to stress the Cardiff back line.

Nonetheless, we were still having trouble of our own and as the match moved past the 70th and then the 80th, it seemed we might leave frustrated. Mistakes in midfield didn’t help, even if Cardiff were not very potent when they did occur. Koscielny made a couple of key blocks after Arteta couldn’t get to a loose pass, though the 2nd one lead to a corner and a sequence where Arteta again mis-controlled. Luckily, Caulker’s shot was blasted well over.

The definitive spell of pressure began in the 83rd minute. A cross from Theo to Bendtner looked a sure goal but there was a hint he might have left it for a phantom teammate just behind him. Just before that, the big guy had delivered one himself to Sagna whose looping header was cleared off the line. Overall, Bendtner’s presence up front and solid ball work coming back was having a positive effect. Still, frustration seemed the order of the day as individual runs from Rosicky and Cazorla created danger but only lead to blocked efforts. When Theo blasted over from a difficult angle in the 86th some air went out of the crowd.

Fortunately, there was no giving up in the side and the knowledge that there had to be plenty of injury time wouldn’t have hurt. FINALLY, in the 88th the goal came. An intricate move featuring great control from Cazorla, a layoff from Walcott, a cross from Monreal to the head of Sagna (forcing a save) and a tightly angled first time smash from, of all people, Nicklas Bendtner, and the match was ours!

The irony is that it cost the man who used to wear his weekly salary upon his shirt. Replays showed the Marshall landed on Bendtner’s standing foot, causing what looks like ankle ligament damage. Finally Arsene’s huge gamble on the much maligned forward gave a bit of payback. Such a shame that he won’t get a warm welcome for the FA cup match against Spurs, on Saturday…

One-nil is nice, but two-nil is nicer. In injury time, a long ball from Szczesny (contested well again by Sagna) fell to Rosicky. A controlling pass and quick (and perfect) pass allowed Wilshere to flick onto Walcott, who chipped Marshall. The keeper got a finger to it but only caused the ball to hover for a moment before dropping into goal. A late save by our keeper, the only one seemingly aware that Cardiff were sending in a free kick, preserved the clean sheet. Relief AND reward for 95 minutes of hard work…

So, questions answered or do they remain?

Much depends on the injury situation. Poldolski, unfortunately doesn’t present the commanding (if somewhat technically lacking) figure that Giroud does. Wilshere and Cazorla though industrious seem to lack that little bit of acceleration and physicality which Ozil and Ramsey bring. With Bendtner supplying the winning goal, but then going down injured, our issues in attack remain in the spotlight. He likely benefited from coming on with Cardiff defenders already tired (much as Poldolski did at West Ham 6 days ago) but he may not be available even for late cameos. Clearly, we have nobody to offer us an hour or more as a lone striking option. I probably don’t need to point out that at least the timing is right given that the transfer window opened today. ..

Regardless, we’ll have one more: a cup match against the ancient enemy on Saturday. They will be lifted from their victory at Manchester United but perhaps also content and happy to drop out of the competition. Remember, they still have home and away games to play in the Europa league, as well as teams to catch if they hope to get back onto the bigger European stage. My thought is that Sherwood will have to rotate to see which (if any) of AVB’s purchases might come good. I wouldn’t expect as smooth or spirited a performance as they put on today at Old Trafford. Still, like Cardiff today they’ll come with nothing to lose. We’ll need even more spirit (if not bandages, duct tape and baling wire) to subdue them.

It should be noted however, that all 4 of our “questionable” players played today (3 of them for all 95 minutes). Perhaps the others nursing “injuries” might be a presence on the bench at least. After that one we have another 9 day mini-break for getting bodies healthy before matches that become increasingly more daunting as January passes into February.

All told, while today’s match (and other recent ones…) may not have been easy on the eyes, we got the result without a few of the players who carried us through the early season. The bodies may be weary but the spirit was (and IS) not lacking. If that’s our low-mark, 2014 offers a measure of promise…

Written by: 17highburyterrace

Newcastle v Arsenal match review + player ratings and MotM

December 30, 2013December 30, 2013TotalArsenal

NEWCASTLE v ARSENAL

Brief summary:

Arsenal started very brightly, and with some very slick one touch passes, they moved the ball about with great authority. But as often happens, very little in the way of clear openings.

Krull was a bit slow to clear and Rosicky forced a poor kick and Arsenal were again passing the ball around in the final third. In the 7^th minute Walcott got body checked by Tiote when on a one-two run at goal, but the ref ‘did not see it’, but it should have been a yellow card for Tiote.

It took a great pass from Cabaye to Debouchy, who got first run on Gibbs to bring Newcastle into life, but that cross was cleared comfortably enough. Much of our attack was going down the left wing as either Rosicky or Wilshere were working that side with Gibbs. However that proved to be a weakness for Arsenal as Debouchy was able to exploit the space behind, with Gibbs playing catch up. Both Sissoko and Remy had some joy down that wing in the first half, but mostly each side cancelled each other out when it came to scoring opportunities.

In the 9^th minute, Rosicky had had a great strike on target, but straight at Krull’s midriff. On the 20 minute mark Arsenal won their first corner after another bright piece of slick passing, but was finally cut out as Walcott ran to the byline. Nothing resulted from the corner though. Giroud got booked, rightly, for tripping Tiote, rightly, as Tiote was breaking forwards, but injured himself when it appeared he tweaked his other ankle on the following run through. Meanwhile, Cazorla was still on the ground from the previous tackle where they had won possession, but no foul was given?

Newcastle finished the half with a flourish after a Cabaye attempt was touched over by a fully stretched Szczesney. From the corner a few dodgy moments, but finally the ball was cleared.

So honours even, and the half-time score remained at 0-0.

The second half started much the way the first had been. Some occasional nice bits of play which eventually led to one misplaced one and the resulting lost possession, and this from both sides. It looked like neither side would break this pattern, and it was Newcastle who turned to Ben Arfa for the first substitution, although Arsenal had Podolski, Gnabry and Jenkinson warming up.

There were a few more tackles going than in the first half, and Tiote escaped a booking for doing what Giroud had done in the first period. Then came the free kick which Walcott sent a beautiful aimed ball in from about 35 yards out from just left of centre. It was a not too high curler that was on target, but one that Krull would probably have saved. However, Giroud made a perfect run across his defender, and from the camera shot from behind the goal you could see Krull saw him coming and went fractionally to his right, expecting Giro’s header to go across him. Instead it was a little glancing header to his left that meant his previous movement the other way left him so that neither outstretched leg and hand could prevent the goal. Fair play to Giroud, because in the last few matches such a touch might have easily gone agonisingly wide, but he kept faith and was duly rewarded.

That seemed to spark Newcastle into the more physical stuff that got them some joy in the first half. It was Cabaye who got annoyed at Rosicky who just pushed him away. No card on this occasion, but when Rosicky tried to nip possession of him a few minutes later, Cabaye made an agonising cry of pain, although the replay clearly showed that it was Cabaye’s shin that hit Rosicky in the calf. No surprise that Rosicky waved that one away too. But when the much bigger Tiote came up to remonstrate, Rosicky looked him in the eye and told him ‘to go forth and multiply’, in the abbreviated form. The ref booked him, it appeared on the topping up procedure, rather than the tackle itself.

It was a late tackle on Gibbs on the sideline that seemed to catch him on the top of the foot. Not dissimilar to the one that caused all his metatarsal problems a few seasons back. However, I noticed on the next Newcastle attack Gibbs had a definite limp. Whilst I don’t think it is too serious, a crunch toe may be? So it was no surprise that he was subbed by Ateteta, although the Arsenal fans were caught a little bewildered. As indeed was the defence. Flamini thought Sagna would come across to left back and he would go to right back position. Instead, Flamini dropped in at left back, given the absence of Vermaelen from the bench. This confusion arose again with Jenks coming on for Walcott, and played ahead of Sagna. Later on, after Newcastle had brought on all of their subs, Bendtner also came on to give Giroud a well deserved rest.

In between these actions there was a bit of goalmouth activity at both ends. A delightful chip pass by Cazorla for Walcott inside the box; he lobbed the onrushing Krull perfectly, only for Debouchy to clear with a top class piece of defending, heading from under the crossbar to clear it. It came back out to Walcott, whose second shot Krull saved, but he too only pushed it out to Giroud. He hit it with his right foot back across goal and it was cleared. To be fair to Giroud, the ball came at him quickly from only a couple of yards and he was in no position to turn his body around to make it a shot from wide of the post, and even less time to get it on his left foot.

At the other end, a sharp ball into the Arsenal nearly ended badly. The target for the cross was dealt with by Sagna’s low header to Mertersacker, but Szczesney had made the decision to come for it, but would not have made it had Sagna left it to him. In the confusion that followed Sagna taking his own goalkeeper, the ball was cleared.

In another instance, Szczesney came to make a routine clearance, kicking the ball out of his hands, saw Remy closing him down, changed his mind at the last second from clearing up the middle, to going to his left. He did not get the height, but did get Remy full in the face. Luckily for him, the rebound went wide. He was visibly furious with himself … but it may cost him his place in the next game?

With all the subs that Newcastle brought on being of an attacking nature, it was a bit desperate in the last few minutes. Even Krull came up when they had a couple of corners. Which led to a couple of Arsenal possible replies. Cazorla had a cheeky 90 yards pop at goal of the season from the near touchline. Alas, it only went about 60 yards and was easily stopped by the retreating Krull.

The second one involved Bendtner, who managed to get a throw in off the only defender back, with Krull still struggling to get back in goal. Bendtner moves to the middle of the pitch, screaming at Jenkinson to do the throw in, as a quick ball in would have had Bendtner one-on-one with the keeper. But Jenks was not thinking that quickly, and by the time he got the ball, turned around, the moment was lost.

Finally, for the third time Krull went forward for a corner, deep into injury time, instead of hanging deep for a far post knock back, he made for the middle, for Szczesney in fact, but a good solid punch saw the Gunners home.

We expected a tough match, and it was a tough match. Three points gratefully received.

We also had 53% possession, more shots on target(thanks to Ben Arfa?), Newcastle made more fouls but we got 3 yellow cards. The referee Lee Probert lived up to his pre-billing then?

Thought and reflections:

In the opening few minutes I thought our midfield had recaptured that enterprising play that saw off teams early on in the season. The trio of Rosicky, Wilshere and Flamini seemed to understand the role of one of the remaining at the back. The fluid inter-positioning and quick passing got Newcastle completely confused. However, they had enough quality players, like Cabaye with his passing range, Debouchy both in defence and attack, Tiote, like him or loathe him, he does a solid job? So it was no surprise that they got back into the game. Arsenal, overall, had the better chances, so the win was not undeserved, even if they had to fight for it.

Player by player performances:

SZCZESNEY: Two potentially dangerous errors, two equally great saves. That sort of sums up his game? It has been a demanding run of games, but he will be very pleased with the clean sheet.

MERTERSACKER: Yet another commanding performance. No highlights, just a solid professional day at the office.

KOSCIELNEY: His normally imperious defending was only marred by a sloppy pass that went straight to an attacker. That returned, resulting in him having to make a customary last ditch tackle. unfortunately that ball squirmed out to a Newcastle player, but the danger was cleared. That episode should not take too much off his overall performance, or the excellent partnership with Per Mertersacker.

SAGNA: He had yet another tough day. For the fourth time in a row he has come up trumps. Why he is not worth a decent new contract is anybody’s guess, but performances like these put him in a strong bargaining position? Rarely put a foot wrong, got forward when he could and handled all that Newcastle could muster. Top class from Mr Reliable!

GIBBS: Mixed fortunes for Gibbs. Got forward really well, got some decent crosses in, and was involved in all the early play. Defensively he was not so sure footed. Even in position, Debuchy seemed to have his measure, but often it was the quality of the passing that meant Gibbs was playing behind the runner. His injury late on will probably give him a well earned break. For the amount of running he has done in the last for games it is understandable that a little sharpness was missing?

FLAMINI: He worked across the middle of the park like a sheepdog rounding up the flock. In fact, nipping at the heels go him a booking, but overall a solid game. Very few chances came Newcastle’s way via him. In a game where he specialises in rolled up sleeves, he does not disappoint.

WILSHERE: Definitely one of his better games. He was part of most of our attacking moves going forward in the first half, and was defensively responsible dropping back if Flamini was going forward. Faded a little in the second half, but that was partly due to Newcastle pressure. noticeably did not get uptight or argue in the ref’s face. Solid game, and will do him no harm if he can repeat this next time.

ROSICKY: Oh, a TTM from me Tomas Top Man. Ran the pitch like a man possessed. Never gave up fighting for the ball. His ‘F* Off!’ to Tiote was priceless. If we could bottle his spirit and drip feed it to some nameless others we would not need new players, just a padded cell for them to calm down in. Without him in the side we would not be ToTL right now.

MOTM no question …

CAZORLA: I know many will share my disappointment that Santi could follow up his previous superb game performance. However, for me, it tends reinforces my own opinion of this being another ‘Arshavin-esque’ situation. He needs to be the hub where things evolve from, and his game disappears somewhat when he is a part of another’s creation. I am not meaning he is not a team player, far from it. But when he plays for the team, as he did in the second half, when clearly told to support Gibbs more in defence, he did so. But at the cost of his creativity, where he can bring others into the game. In the first half we saw glimpses of it. In the previous game, when Ozil faded he came into his own. Here, he not only had to contend with Rosicky with ‘Duracell’, but also Wilshere being in the spaces he can operate much better in … when allowed to? I feel this will be an ongoing problem, and not one easily resolved?

GIROUD: The Hero. The Villain. But whatever your view, you simply cannot deny that Giro is the ultimate team worker. The most important thing though, is the players understand the latter to a man. He works his socks off in every game, and even this one, on the back of some slim pickings, near misses, soft chances not taken, he was still in there, putting every last ounce of effort in.

So boy did he deserve his goal today?

Whether he can kick on from here, or take a short break, like Ozil, until the Villa game, remains to be seen. The second half of the season is going to be equally tough, so if I were him I would take a ‘chill out’ break if it is offered.

WALCOTT: He too was not as effective in this game as he was against West Ham. I think that was mostly down to better defending. He did not have the space to work in, when he did early on and he got fouled and that might have put him off his game? But when he was in space passes did not reach for one reason or another. However, he will be remembered for that one piece of magic that gave him the assist for the goal. You often hear commentators say ‘…it only needed a slight touch and ..’? Well this one got it, and did it make everybody in the Arsenal camp relieved?

His other chance to double the score was very cleverly saved by a goal line clearance, and he rebound shot was pushed aside by the keeper. But I think overall he can be happy he made the difference?

Finally, to those who think we should go for Berbatov, I say if you want the team to play with 10 men and somebody up front, then ask the players who they want?

Mertersacker says ‘We need to buy the RIGHT players to help win the title’ … I agree.

Written by: Gerry

Were Arsenal hurt by conservative tactics and rotation?

December 9, 2013December 9, 2013TotalArsenal

Arsenal-Everton 1-1: Great match, disappointing result?

Sunday’s line-up:

High flying Everton, fresh off victory at Old Trafford came to North London full of confidence and with nothing to lose. From the kickoff a pattern of Everton pace and width with repeated balls into Chelsea man Romelu Lukaku would be the tactic–a means of bypassing Arsenal’s packed 5 man midfield.

Early on Everton, to their credit, performed like the home team and Arsenal were often pegged into our own half. Playing on the break, we seemed limited by Giroud’s lack of pace and the midfielders lack of sureness as to whether they should make the forward run. Additionally, with only Giroud as a target (and nobody to really aim his headed ball towards), Szczesny’s (much improved) clearances never posed a real threat when we did go “Route One.”

By contrast Everton presented a strong attack and seemed happy to play the ball forward quickly. Barkley, Mirallas, Pienaar and the two fullbacks, Coleman and Oviedo all pressed well and pushed forward while ManCity man Gareth Barry anchored their shape. Still, beyond a few dangerous looking whipped crosses, which found only our heads or open spaces, they were limited to long, wide angle shots. In the first half, Szczesny did not have a save to make.

Arsenal came into the match as the half wore on and in the 27^th minute we almost took the lead on a cross from Cazorla to Gibbs in the 6 yard box. Only a slight deflection (unseen by the linesmen—a goal kick instead of a corner was given) prevented a sure goal. As the half wound down, Arsenal forced two smart saves from Tim Howard after nice combination work from Ozil, Giroud and Ramsey. Still, possession stats corroborated Everton’s dominance: 62% to our 38% showed just how much we had struggled to force the game to our will.

While I find great satisfaction in watching Arsenal defend with calmness and confidence, I do feel we will struggle for results if we cede so much possession. It could be argued that Arsene Wenger’s desire to have a 5 man midfield was undermined by his reliance on a combination of younger, relatively inexperienced players (Wilshere, Ramsey) and older, smaller, less mobile guys (Arteta, Cazorla), all of whom left both new man Ozil and our big fella up front (Giroud) somewhat isolated. I would add that our attempt to play the match in a good spirit, rather than indulging referee Howard Webb’s well known tendency to use his whistle near the center circle, was somewhat naïve. Misplaced balls, often under strong Everton pressure, were a key feature of the first period. A final area of complaint might be the ineffectiveness of our fullbacks going forward… Crosses beyond our attackers are another quick route to lost possession…

2^nd Half

We picked up where we had left off and our possession game looked far better in the early part of the 2^ndhalf. We certainly seemed on top as the hour mark came and went. While I thinking that Wenger had given Roberto Martinez the upper hand by not starting Theo Walcott and giving us a threat of pace on the break, I was no less than stunned when he did go to the bench in the 68^th minute. A triple change of Walcott, Rosicky and Flamini entered the game at the expense of Wilshere, Ramsey and Cazorla and immediately made us look a greater threat and more solid in the middle of the pitch (Flamini clearly taking a leadership role…), but time was running short. It was quite a roll of the dice and left us zero flexibility in case a player picked up a knock or the nature of the match was altered by a goal.

Did it also indicate a touch of regret regarding the starting 11?…

Finally, in the 80^th minute Rosicky found Walcott in the box and a wise header down to Giroud looked a sure goal. Possibly held back or fouled by Jagielka, our big man whiffed his effort but Ozil was there to smash it into the top of the net. The 3 points seemed ours!

Unfortunately, Martinez had just brought in Barca boy Gerard Deulofeu. Soon after, on a broken play and over-hit cross, the youngster was able to freeze the ball and defender Kieran Gibbs with a series of quick right footed touches and an even quicker shot of extreme power: he blasted the ball past Scszesny. The shot seemed both block-able and save-able but the talent and skill of the Deulofeu should probably be saluted. Gibbs had Rosicky protecting any move to the left so perhaps he should have done more to force the very right-footed young attacker back towards the center.

The match still had several minutes remaining and both teams seemed determined to try and find a winner, but Arsenal, stunned by the goal, had trouble wresting possession and Everton looked the more likely team to grab a late winner. Lukaku, put onside by a Gibbs touch, had their best chance in the 88th minute but Scszesny was well aware to the danger. A Walcott cross almost found Koscielny in the 90^thminute and Flamini had a swing (and a miss) at a tough angled volley with Howard out of the goal, but closest of them all was a stunning turn and shot by Giroud that beat Howard but rattled off the junction of post and crossbar. So close, but so far away…

It finished 1-1 and while disappointed that we didn’t take all three points and open up a seven point lead I’m still satisfied with our performance. We must sometimes salute a strong opponent and a thrilling match played in a good spirit, I believe. The trip to ManchesterCity will surely be very difficult but then there is time to regroup before the visit of Chelsea. Of course, before those two is the difficult trip to Napoli where we must finish off our Champions’ League group.

I think we may have been hurt by Wenger’s conservative tactical and rotational approach to the match. Arteta has been a rock as our deep lying midfielder but with youngster Jenkinson in for (injured) Sagna we may have needed a second rock in that part of the pitch. We looked more solid once Flamini entered the match. Additionally, with Everton pushing the ball up field quickly and using their Fullbacks as attackers we might’ve tried to match their pace with our own in Theo Walcott. Sagna also provides a secondary target for long balls from Scszesny and that tactic seemed particular ineffective without him. Last season, when we played plenty of “Route One,” Walcott’s runs off Giroud and Sagna headers were always something defenses had to respect. I also believe that Gibbs, while being the better athlete and a great “recovery” defender, isn’t as good a possession and “intelligence” player as Nacho Monreal. Did we suffer just that little bit from Wenger’s change at LB?

Finally, I believe we need to be better at adapting to pressing teams with quick passing, better outlets and using the protection of the referee when needed. Young Ramsey (who frankly had an off day by his recent high standards–sorry, no player ratings for me…) and Wilshere need to move and pass more and carry the ball (or try fancy flicks) a bit less. That they were both sacrificed, along with Cazorla, who often looks physically over-matched in open, fast paced games, was not a surprise. We may have to re-jig our starting 11 ever so slightly against the more physical, quicker teams.

So, while we have some issues the team is still growing and obviously working together. It is a disappointing result but I believe one that will toughen our resolve and move us forward. Not the best way to start the brutal run of three (very big) matches in less than 6 days, but also not the worst.

Longer term, Everton are a much improved team under Martinez (did they miss Moyes big “targets,” Fellaini and Baines, today?) and a good bet in the battle for Champions’ League spots. Unfortunately they’re heavily reliant on Lukaku, Barry and Deulofeu who are theirs on loan only. Wenger’s words about current loan policy loom large if Chelsea and City are to be considered our biggest league rivals. Will any (or all) of the three be recalled in the January window? We know they won’t play in matches against their parent clubs, which surely doesn’t seem correct…

We take a five point lead going forward. Not as good as seven but we also carry a fighting spirit that I’m not sure our rivals possess. A big month looms and then we may need to make adjustments in the New Year and the January window. All told, consider me excited by today’s match and our prospects…

How ‘bout you?…

Written by: 17highburyterrace

Arteta and Santi are Back, Ramsey roars on: Match Review

November 3, 2013TotalArsenal

Match Review: Questions have been answered

Liverpool came to the Emirates on Saturday looking to capitalize on Arsenal’s midweek slip up against Chelsea. Arsenal would have to respond to that midweek loss well because the winner of this game would go top of the league.

Wenger played a strong lineup, but had to field a relatively weak bench due to injuries to Jack and Serge, among others out for the longer term.

Arsenal started the game strong and looked in the mood to really make this a horrible day for Liverpool. The ref was pretty fair from the beginning and did not fall for the SAS diving, so credit to him.

Every week Liverpool’s formation makes less sense and weakens them down the flanks even further. This week Liverpool played a very central heavy formation perhaps hoping to break up our midfield passing, but all they succeeded in doing was giving us too much space on the wings.

This would first become evident in the 19^th minute. Arteta played Sagna through down the right hand side. He outran the out of position Cissokho and swung a cross into the middle. It was behind Giroud, but Santi had made a run behind him and headed the ball after a bounce. The ball hit the post, but Santi followed up and sliced it calmly into the net. Our little number 19 scored his first goal of the season against Liverpool just as he did last season.

Arsenal remained dominant for the rest of the first half. Arteta was fantastic at breaking up play in the absence of Flamini. Giroud got a few chances throughout the game, but he just could not put the game to bed.

After half time Liverpool were forced to change formation to have any hope of winning.

Their chance to do so would just about die in the 60^th minute. Ozil gave Ramsey a nice little chip to the top of the box. Aaron calmly trapped the ball and let it bounce a few times. And as any player full of confidence would do, just let rip on the half volley. The ball dipped and swerved and made its way in just under the crossbar. The goal itself was incredible, but sadly will probably be overshadowed by Begovic’s goal.

The confidence this team has, is embodied in Ramsey. We are prepared to take chances offensively now because we now have no fear of our defense not being good enough when we lose possession. This has led to some incredible passing and play this season and it’ll only get better as the season goes on.

After this goal no one really looked like scoring. We put on Monreal to shore up our defense on the left, but soon after Gibbs went off with a slight knock and Vermaelen came on at left back. Jenkinson came on at the end to maintain our clean sheet and it worked. Liverpool came close a few times at the end, but we were ready and organized at the back and kept our 2-0 lead.

At the final whistle Arsenal went five points clear at the top of the league and showed the rest of the league that we mean business. Many had questioned if we could play our game and win against big teams and questioned if we can do it every week, and this win showed that we can. This month will be big and if we get wins against Liverpool, Dortmund, United, etc, we will really show everyone that we are starting a new era where Arsenal will return to dominance. I maintain that City is our biggest competition in the league, after seeing them run rampant in a 7-0 win against Norwich earlier in the day. Our games against them will probably be the biggest of the season.

Overall, the team was fantastic today with standout performances from Szczesny, Arteta, Cazorla, and Koscielny. Giroud probably could’ve had a few goals, but overall the score line is a pretty good representation of the game.

For now I’ll leave you with some questions:

What did you think of the game?
What kind of message did this game send to the rest of the league?
Who do you think our toughest competition is for the league title?
Who was your man of the match?

Thanks for reading! 😀

Written by: Dylan.

Arteta leads, Szczesny stands up, and Ozil, Rambo and OG pure class

October 26, 2013October 26, 2013TotalArsenal

But above all, another great TEAM performance!

The captain answered his critics once more... — The captain answered his critics once more…

Well, Well, ToTL with 22 points and a fine goal difference of 11 after just nine games! The boys did us proud today. Chris Foy tried his best to ruin it for us, but even he could not stop us.

I thought before the game this would either be very easy or we would have to dig deep; and as we all know, it became the latter. Just as against Norwich, Flamini had to leave the game very early, but this time it seemed a groin injury rather than a reoccurrence of his concussion. And just as last week, we lacked a bit of shape and rhythm once he had gone, although Arteta impressed with not just his positioning but also his willingness to put his body on the line.

The pitch was very slow and the Eagles defended resolutely, but we also played at too low a tempo and often not close enough to each other. And when we did play a bit closer together, our triangles did often not work out, due to inaccurate passing and under-par first touches. However, the boys managed to get into the box a few times and got close to scoring with chances for the (still very rusty) Cazorla, Rambo and Giroud.

To be fair on Palace, they played well in the first half and created a few good chances themselves, as once again we allowed them to play football in the space in front of our ‘D’ and were opened up a bit too easily. Part of their strategy was to get easy free-kicks in put-the-ball-into-the-box areas, and Foy easily obliged to support this ploy. But we also were a bit naïve in giving away such free kicks too willingly, making it easy for the 13^th man to have his influence on this game. Luckily, we defended most of these free-kicks (and corners) resolutely, which was a welcome sight.

0-0 was a fair score to go into the break with, and it was clear we had to up the tempo of our passing and make better runs into the danger area, if we were to get the three points from this game.

We did not have to wait long for a break. Gnabry, who plays with such an incredible maturity and composure for his age (born in 1995, the same year Dennis arrived at Highbury!), found himself in the box with the ball – after good, patient and incisive triangle-combination football by Arsenal – and he cut the ball back superbly, denying the onrushing Guedioura any opportunity to control his adrenaline surge before it was too late. As a result, the Algerian fouled the young German in the box and this time Foy could not get away with denying us a penalty (we could have had one in the first half).

Up steps our captain, and you kind of feel if he misses this one we will not win today. But his penalties are as sharp and immaculate as his haircut and bionic stare, and he makes it 1-0 to the good guys with an unstoppable effort.

The game can now truly begin, as Palace will need to come out of their defensive setting to get anything out of it. We press and play with a lot more swagger and it seems only a matter of time before we will score the all important second goal. But Foy was still part of the ploy and he grabbed his opportunity with both hands when Arteta and our former Moroccan Gunner collided about a Boeing 747 away from our goal. The gel-man tried to compensate a characteristically bad first touch (his feet have never been his strength) from what was a very promising through-ball with barging into Arteta: they both went to the floor and Foy sends our captain to the showers. It is easy to be resolute if you know what you are doing…. 😕

Arsenal now had to defend and Arsene made excellent substitutions with bringing on our best all-round midfielder Wilshere and safe pair of hands Nacho for the tired Cazorla and, the tactically sacrificed, Gnabry.

We have discussed the need to keep a clean sheet more regularly if we want to beat the Chavs (and others) to the title this season, and today we really needed it to clinch all three points. Up steps our Pole in goal; first denying a beautifully executed shot by Joel Ward with a full stretch, ever so slight fingertips-touch onto the crossbar; followed by a strong, one handed match winning save from Jedinak venomous volley from just outside the box. Szczesny remains a work in progress but today’s performance, for which he was given the MoTM award, will help him tremendously – and he needed it.

The team looked tired but ALL worked hard to fight for the three points. I loved the way Ozil picked up balls in and around our own box and kept it to win time and space, and what a fine, strong balance he has. Jack was able to keep the ball under pressure and move forward with it, not allowing the Eagles to sustain their attacks. Nacho did great work on the left wing, both defensively and in attack, and almost scored a Theo-esque goal late on.

I looked at Giroud and Rambo and they seemed exhausted; the game against Dortmund and the 10-men second half efforts against Palace clearly taking their toll. But they never gave up and dug very deep into their reserves, and this is what we should remember when either of them has a less effective game: these boys really care about Arsenal – the absolute opposite of mercenaries!

And it came as no surprise that the final word of this exhilarating game was for our finest work horses. Giroud collects the ball in midfield with his back to the opponent’s goal – who is currently better in the PL at doing this?…. – and passes to Rambo, who is still able to accelerate past a few Palace players into the box, and somehow finds the composure to produce a measured ball onto the head of the onrushing Frenchman, who places the ball just above Speroni’s left shoulder, leaving him no chance to save it: 2-0 to the mighty Gunners and game over.

A hard fought win, three points, ToTL, and more evidence that this team has real backbone: Ooh to! Ooh to be! Ooh to be A Gooner! – Ooh to! Ooh to be! Ooh to be A Goooner!

http://www.fcsongs.com/Arsenal_FC_-_Ooh_To_Be_A_Gooner.html

Bring on the Oilers! 🙂

Written by: TotalArsenal.

OOHzils and AAHrons return to THOF: Wengerball is back!

October 20, 2013TotalArsenal

I have watched some dire Arsenal games in recent years. Norwich and Wigan away, and Blackburn (FA Cup) at home were all pretty poor live-games last season for example, but yesterday I finally saw Arsenal play fantastic football again. The atmosphere in the stadium was good, and in the North Bank it was even better. The banter between North Bank and the East Bank supporters was great – singing to each other for prolonged periods which became louder and louder every time.

On such a mild day as it was, and with the sun coming through just as the game started, the fans singing and with a collective sense of this season possibly being different than previous ones, it felt extra good to be a Gooner yesterday.

As predicted, Arsene started with FlamTeta in the double-DM pivot and no typical wingers. I had Ramsey and Cazorla starting, but it made sense to rest Ramsey and give Jack an opportunity to show everyone once again what a great prospect he is. And boy did he deliver.

Effectively, we played 4-5-1 again. A similar line-up attracted a lot of unfair criticism against WBA, but this time round there appears to be no complaints. And with our wide midfielders contributing with goals, assists and penultimate assists, Wenger will feel justified for sticking with his midfielders for another game.

Norwich were well organised and defended diligently at the start of the game. Arsenal took their time to find the openings as the so familiar ‘Sturm und Drang’ football seems to be a thing of the past. This Arsenal are calculated in their efforts: we try to preserve energy and like to sit back – we even do not mind to relinquish possession of the ball if it will mean the opponent comes forward and out of their defensive positions.

To some extent we play like Red Nose’s MU during periods of the game. We love space and we relish winning back the ball in our own half, as to start our counter-attacks with speed, precision-passing, and cool finishing. Today we scored a couple of goals from getting the ball in our own half and I expect this to become a regular occurrence this season.

This sitting back and absorbing pressure does come at a price, though. At times during games – and yesterday this was the case on each side of the break – we sit too deep and hand over control too much to the opponent. Norwich had their best spell between the 35^th minute and when they scored their goal; and we were a tat lucky with scoring our second one before they scored theirs.

Partly, this was due to the early departure of the Flame: the team initially struggled with regaining its shape and dealing effectively with Norwich’s very effective and physical central midfielders. I thought Wenger and Bould would coach our midfielders during the break on how to regain control, but they continued to struggle during the first twenty minutes or so of the second half.

Norwich lacked the creative and finishing skills to properly hurt us, and with Arsenal brimming with both confidence and super quality talent, it was pretty clear we would come out as winners eventually.

Our first goal, watched from the North Bank so from afar, was pinball football. When an improvised goal through the middle comes off like that, the team deserves all the plaudits it’s getting. We just could not believe what we saw: what a cheeky, brilliant goal. And we all sang: ‘same old Arsenal, taking the piss’. It was wonderful to listen to the collective OOHS and AAHS when the replay was shown on the stadium screens just after the goal was scored. Wengerball is well and truly back!

The delirium from THAT goal did subside though, and even turned into some howls of derision towards the end of the first half, despite OG almost scoring a second after another blitz-attack: the North Bank are a critical lot! But Arsenal sat back too much and allowed Norwich too much space and time on the ball during this period. Szczesny saved us during this phase with a first class stop: not just keeping the ball out of the net, but also pushing it away safely under pressure.

The start of the second half was also for Norwich, but another brilliant break from the back led to the second goal: the one that won us the game as Norwich just did not have more than one goal in them at best. Cazorla found, the brilliant throughout the game, OG in the right-wing position: he looks up and sees Ozil making a run into the box and produces a beautifully weighted cross into the box which finds the head of the German. Ozil cannot believe he scored with his head from a cross from our CF – something Ronaldo would never have done for him – but it is two nil to the Good Guys and we all sing ‘we are walking in an Ozil wonderland’, soon followed by the Beatles inspired Giroud tunes – and rightly so. The Frenchman’s ability to ‘serve’ the team is second to none, and just for that I love the guy.

A collective relieve across the stadium can then be sensed: the party can now truly begin, it seems. But Norwich get a reward for their fine team play and get a goal back. The BFG could have done better clearing the ball but Howson’s first touch is very good, and he hits the ball with venom and precision past Gibbs’ leg, leaving Szczesny, who sees the ball going past the Englishman’s legs late, with absolutely no chance this time.

The introduction of Rosicky for Santi gave the team a much needed renewed purpose and drive, and with Arteta improving significantly the longer the game went on as well, the Ramsey-show could truly begin. Our third goal was another superb one. Ramsey’s touch, control and spatial awareness in the tightest of area were unbelievable; and to see all of this right in front of me was pure ecstasy. We all went mad in the stands and tears of joy rolled down my cheeks. The boy whose leg was snapped in two, who was booed by his own fans and wished all sorts of diseases on the blogs, had scored a Bergkampesque goal of the highest order. Chapeau, chapeau!

It was not over yet, as the team remained hungry for more goals, and the likes of Ozil, Rosicky, Wilshere and Ramsey kept driving forward and combining at will and with great invention and penetration. Ruddy, the Norwich goal keeper, kept doing really well during this period, but he could do absolutely nothing when Ramsey found Ozil with the daftest of touches, as the king of assists was for the second time in one game royally presented with a fine goal scoring opportunity himself. Rosicky had spread the ball from left to right, finding Ramsey at the left post with precision, and catching out the Norwich defence in the process. Beautiful football by beautiful people.

After that there were individual songs for Rosicky, Ramsey, Ozil and Giroud, but the most poignant song was kept till the end: ‘WE are top of the league, WE are top of the league, WE are top of the league, We are top of the league!’

And so we are and long may it continue! 😛

Written by: TotalArsenal.

Match Review: Jack finally scores, but a disappointing draw

October 7, 2013TotalArsenal

Arsenal went to West Brom looking for a win to break their away win record. Arsenal recently met West Brom in the Capital One Cup and therefore knew this fixture would be a tough one.

Arsenal started the game well today; stringing some good passes together, but they were unable to break down West Brom early on.

From the beginning, it was clear that the ref was going to let many things go. Normally I have no problem with a ref letting play go on, if the ref is not biased towards one team. The ref wasn’t awful, but he made some pretty big mistakes, frequently not calling something for Arsenal and then calling it for West Brom later.

Arsenal’s winger injury crisis continued to take its toll as Ramsey (and to a lesser extent, Jack) was once again forced out of position onto the wing. Rosicky would also later sub on out of position, for Ramsey on the wing. Getting Santi, Podolski, Walcott, and the Ox back will help keep players like Ramsey, Wilshere, and Rosicky playing in their proper position.

The first half was rather boring, with some tough tackles put in by both sides. However, in the end West Brom put in the game’s opening goal. In the 42^nd minute Yacob put a header in at the near post. The cross came from a rebound from a West Brom corner and no one was marking Yacob who easily tapped the cross past Szczesny.

Our defence was at fault for the goal as no one was marking Yacob. I believe it should’ve been Jenkinson on Yacob, but he was a few yards in front of him trying to intercept the cross. Overall, Jenkinson did not look good today. He seemed to be missing some guidance down the right that Sagna appears to provide when he is playing in the middle, to the left of Jenkinson.

Soon after the break Aaron Ramsey went off with a slight knee injury. Wenger said it was mostly precautionary and that he is fine. Rosicky was his replacement in the 58^th minute and was also forced to play out of position on the right wing.

In the 63^rd minute Wilshere scored what is now only his second ever premier league goal. Giroud received the ball on the right hand side of the box. He held up the ball well then played Rosicky across the top of the box. Rosicky chipped the ball up, and Wilshere hit the ball into the lower corner off the half volley.

After this it was only Arsenal that looked likely to score. Wilshere played an incredible ball into Giroud in the box. He ran across the face of goal looking for Myhill to go to ground, but he never did, and in the end Myhill managed to hit the ball away. Wilshere was also hacked down in the box towards the end of the game. Mulumbu slid in on Wilshere from behind. After watching this in slow motion many times I have determined that Mulumbu hit Jack and then the ball. The challenge was identical to a challenge Wilshere himself was carded for earlier in the game, and I therefore think that it should have been a penalty.

Bendtner came on towards the end of the game, but could not make a difference and the game ended 1-1. I think Arsenal deserved a win, albeit, a close one. However, in the end we are still in first place and we got a point from the game.

One final thing I was curious about is what people thought of the Arteta and Flamini pivot. Personally, I thought that having those two playing together we were actually shielding our defense less than usual. They seemed to each think the other would cover or go for the tackle and we seemed more indecisive. I would like to give them more of a chance, but I do worry that having both of them playing together could make our defence less efficient.

Overall, the game was a good end-to-end game that was ruined by bad refereeing. Both sides probably could’ve scored more goals, but in the end a point is a point and we are still number one.

For now I’ll leave you with some questions:

What did you think of today’s game?
What do you think of Wilshere, Ramsey, and Rosicky on the wing?
What did you think of the Arteta and Flamini pivot?
Is Jenkinson better with Sagna in the middle?

Thanks for reading! 😀

Written by: Dylan.

Swansea Review: Rambo still on fire, Özil quiet, but Gnabry promising

September 28, 2013TotalArsenal

After a tough penalty win against West Brom midweek in the Capital One Cup, Arsenal faced a trip to Wales today to take on Swansea City.

The game today saw Arsenal have a very slow start. Swansea dominated the early game, swinging in crosses and taking long shots. However, with our tall defenders and determination, we managed to keep the Swans out.

Arsenal had an unchanged line up from last week’s Premier League game against StokeCity. I found it interesting that Gnabry kept his place, despite playing 120 minutes and a penalty shootout midweek.

The first half was very open and it was very much a back and forth affair. The one major scare of the first half came when Szczesny came way out of his box, on the goal line, only for Michu to keep the ball in and for the Swans to swing the ball into the box. However, I believe offside was called and no resulting goal would have counted.

The rest of the first half was a rather boring, albeit, open game. However, in the last minute of stoppage time in the first half, Serge Gnabry had a fantastic penetrating run from just beyond half field to the edge of the 18 yard box, laid it off to Giroud, who dragged it wide. It was not the best finish, but an excellent demonstration of Gnabry’s potential. Gnabry seems like the type of player who can play either wing or in a CAM type position, and I’m very interested to see how he develops.

Overall, the first half was tense, but at the same time, there was not much to talk about. Both sides went about their business and played their trademarked beautiful styles of football, with each side frustrating the other.

In the second half Arsenal came out much stronger. They seemed more determined and ready to win. Speaking of Gnabry, he would get Arsenal’s first goal of the day. Arsenal broke down the field and some smart passing got the ball to Rambo just outside the box. Aaron then slipped Gnabry through on the right of him, without looking. Gnabry took a calm collected touch, and then blasted a cool finish past Vorm in to the lower right corner of the net, in the 58^th minute. Seeing Gnabry score his first senior goal for Arsenal was exciting and he really was a standout player today. His movement and passing was excellent and he’s starting to demand a place in the squad, maybe even a consistent place in the starting 11.

Not long after, in the 62^nd minute, Arsenal would score again. The man of the match, Aaron Ramsey, would score his 8^th goal in 8 games. Arsenal broke down the field again with some absolutely incredible passing, including a heel flick out to the sideline by Ramsey. In the end, Giroud reversed the ball to Rambo, who took a touch and slammed the ball into the roof of the net. I was really impressed with Rambo today, not just because of his goal, but also his physical strength, tempered with some smart tackles in defense.

After this goal, Arsenal seemed to settle down and become a little complacent. We tried to possess the ball and pass it around and it worked, until the 82^nd minute when Arsenal’s complacency cost them. Ben Davies of Swansea made a run down the field, played the ball to Bony, and Bony put it back over the top of our defense for Davies to poke into the net. Mertesacker tried to get a tackle in, but he couldn’t reach it and Davies poked the ball past Szczesny. I blame our players for switching off, they really should’ve had more focus, but they were excellent the rest of the game so I will forgive them.

The rest of the game was a tense affair, with cards flying and tough tackles being put in by both sides. Jenkinson, Monreal, and Arteta came in to shore up our defense, and it worked. Arsenal was strong enough, physically and mentally, to hold on to the lead. Another winning goal for Rambo and another away win for the Arsenal. 8 away wins in a row, tied for the club record. This team really is something special.

An excellent 2-1 away win to the Arsenal and we are top of the league once more! Let’s hope we can keep this winning streak up and keep our number one spot. This team looks willing to do anything to win every game in every competition and that’s what any fan of any club loves to see. The team seems to be together and willing to fight for the badge and fight for each other.

For now I’ll leave you with some questions:

What did you think of today’s game?
Does Gnabry demand a spot? If yes, in the starting 11 or on the bench?
Do you think Gnabry could play as a CAM?
How do you think Rambo did today?
Will we break our away win record?

Thanks for reading! 😀

Written by: Dylan.

Report & Ratings: Orcs slain, Rambo does it again, Özil is unbelievable

September 22, 2013TotalArsenal

After a tough midweek away fixture in France, Arsenal faced a visit from Stoke this weekend. Today was set to be Özil’s home debut and the fans would not be disappointed by what he had in store.

The game today saw Arsenal start out strong but become tired in the second half and start to drag a little, before some late substitutions brought some life back into the game.

One interesting note about our starting line-up today: Theo Walcott was set to start the game on the right wing, before a change was made about 10 minutes before kick off and 18 year old Serge Gnabry made his first Premier League start for Arsenal. From what Wenger said, Theo had an abdominal problem and should be fine.

All three assists today came from our record signing, Mesut Ozil. And surprisingly, we put three goals past Stoke through set pieces! This truly shows how good Özil’s delivery is.

Özil showed off his excellent delivery for the first time today after just five minutes. The German had a wonderful shot from a free kick just outside the box. Begović dove and managed to palm it away, only for the man of the moment, Aaron Ramsey, to fire the rebound coolly into the net.

Then in the 26th minute the Orcs would get lucky. A decent ball was hoofed in the box by Orc #1. Per was unable to keep up with Orc #2 and Orc #2 fired a shot against the post. Had it been on target, Szczesny likely would’ve gotten to it, but it cannoned of the post back to Orc #3, who put it in the net. Not much can be blamed other than Per’s lack of pace. Maybe someone should’ve been tracking Orc #3, but I’ll put this goal down to luck because the ball could just have easily hit the post and gone out, or bounced to Szczesny or anywhere but back to a Stoke player.

Özil would then show his class again, delivering a corner in to Per who flashed it across goal with his head, only for it to be cleared of the line. However, Özil and Per would repeat this in the 36th minute and this time Mertesacker’s looping header would find its way just inside the far post. It was an excellently placed header for the second time that game from our BFG. He looked thrilled to score for the Arsenal again, and it’s always great to see the goals coming from all over the team.

After half time the team seemed to tire. Playing three fixtures in a week really seemed to take its toll, especially on Jack and Aaron. I would’ve liked to see Ryo come on for Jack around the 60^th minute to keep the team fresh and to protect Jack from the vicious Stoke players, but the subs would come eventually.

Özil would deliver his final assist in the 72nd minute, again off a set piece. He curled in a cross from the left side if the field and this time it would be Sagna to put a looping header over Begović. As far as I know, this was Sagna’s first goal since he played his part in the first 5-2 against Tottenham. We really need to get that lad signed up on a contract extension, even if he has to make the move to centre back permanently as he ages and his mobility leaves him. He knows the Arsenal style of play and has experience and talent; we really do need to keep him.

The game, once again ended 3-1 to the mighty Arsenal. The only real complaint being that we didn’t keep a clean sheet. However, we are once again top of the league and this time we will stay there.

Player Ratings:

Szczesny: 7/10; Had a rather average performance. Wasn’t at fault for the goal and did well smothering a low cross late on.

Sagna: 7.5/10; Also had a rather average performance, but did well to score the goal. Still looking solid in old age and needs to be resigned.

Mertesacker: 8/10; Was an animal at the heart of our defense today. Jumped on Jones’ bad touch when he was nearly through on our goal and scored an excellent header to put us ahead.

Koscielny: 7/10; A quiet performance, but sometimes that’s what you want from defenders. Just went about his business, did well to distract Begović on Per’s goal and it’s good to see him being less rash and not giving away penalties.

Gibbs: 6.5/10; Also quiet, but seemed quite tired. Didn’t do much going forward and Flamini seemed to be covering at the LB spot a lot, implying that Gibbs was out of position a bit too often. He did have his moments though.

Ramsey: 7/10; Was in great position to score the rebound off the first free kick, but tired quickly after so many games in such a short time.

Flamini: 7.5/10; Had fantastic distribution and did well covering for the tired Gibbs when he was caught out of position. He continued to show his value to the team and his signing looks to be a stroke of genius.

Özil: 9/10; Had fantastic delivery from set pieces. Four especially notable ones, including the three goals and Per’s first header.

Gnabry: 7/10; Had some good moves down the field. Could’ve been through on one occasion, had Huth not leveled him. Also looked strong defensively. Looked great for an 18 year old and hopefully he gets more chances soon.

Giroud: 7/10; Had a rather average game. Tried an acrobatic effort late on, but really didn’t do much creating chances for others or himself. However, was helpful defensively and won more than a few free kicks.

Wilshere: 6.5/10; Was clearly targeted by Stoke. Had his moments in the first half, but tired quickly and should’ve been taken off sooner.

Substitutes:

Ryo: 6.5/10; Came on late for Gnabry. Didn’t do much, but added some pace to the team towards the end and did well to keep the ball in once down the right wing, but had a terrible cross. Overall, needs more time. I expect him to play midweek.

Monreal: 7/10; Shored up our defense at the end. Subbed on late for Wilshere.

Arteta: 7/10; Made his return from injury. Subbed on late for Özil in his more natural attacking midfield position. Will likely play midweek for fitness.

Note: This is my first time doing player ratings, at the request of JB. Please tell me what you think and if you would like me to continue doing this.

For now I’ll leave you with some questions:

What did you think of the team’s performance today?
How important is it for Arsenal to sign Sagna to a new deal?
Do you think Wenger is responsible for the team’s good form and togetherness?

Thanks for reading. 😀

Written by: Dylan.

Özil fits Arsenal like a glove, Ramsey roars on, Flamini leads: Match Report

September 14, 2013September 14, 2013TotalArsenal

Match Review: This is what champions are made of.

After two weeks of international football, the Premier League returned today. Fans of many Premier League teams were desperately awaiting the debuts of many of their new signings; especially Arsenal fans, awaiting the debut of deadline day signing Mesut Özil.

And those Arsenal fans would not be disappointed.

Today’s match against Sunderland had ups and downs. In the first half, Arsenal were on fire, but after the break Arsenal’s tempo slowed for a while before we regained our form again at the end.

Arsenal started the day full of confidence and with the away-crowd behind them. Everyone involved was very excited to see the debut of Özil. He would come good in the 11^th minute: our nr.11 controlled a long ball in the air wonderfully, touched it out in front of him, and played a fantastic ball to Giroud in front of goal. He happily fired the ball into the near post and gave Arsenal the lead: it is now four goals in four Premier League games for Giroud, and an assist for Özil on his debut.

After this goal, the whole game changed. The home crowd was essentially silenced and Arsenal began playing some of the most beautiful football they’ve played in a while. Wilshere did a wonderful job of taking on Santi’s position and drifting inside to help out the midfield. His understanding with Ramsey seemed improved, and both Aaron’s and Jack’s excellent understanding with Özil (and vice versa) was mystifying, especially because they have only trained together a very short time and they don’t even speak the same language.

Özil provided multiple chances to Theo with perfectly weighted through balls, but unfortunately Theo still is not in scoring form, however I give credit to Westwood for some fantastic saves.

We went into half time only 1-0 up, but with about 70% possession. Arsenal had dominated the first half, but perhaps this was their undoing at the start of the second half. Three minutes into the second half an overzealous Koscielny made a stupid challenge on Adam Johnson in the box. There was really no need for the tackle as he had no clear shot on goal and was on his weaker foot; however, he slid into him and the ref awarded Sunderland a penalty. Gardner rocketed the penalty into the lower left corner and Szczesney couldn’t do anything about it.

After this penalty the game changed once more. The home crowd roared and Sunderland suddenly stepped up and began dominating the game. Sunderland had numerous chances and really stepped up to the plate. However, this is where Arsenal showed that they are ready to win titles and just how important the signing of Flamini is.

I think that this game is very comparable to the Villa game: an early Giroud goal followed by a fairly soft penalty and then the crowd turns against the mighty Arsenal. In both games the ref was awful (although, the ref at Villa was worse, but let’s not discuss that). Point being, Arsenal were up against it in both games. In the Villa game Arsenal crumbled a little bit after the penalty and ended up losing, however this time Arsenal banded together. They fought through the bad part of the game and kept themselves in it.

Flamini was very critical in this; running about, clapping his hands, generally screaming and putting in tough tackles. The team banded together and fought against a Sunderland side that really wanted to win.

Arsenal finally found a breakthrough in the 67^th minute. Jenkinson picked up the ball on the right flank and saw Aaron raising his hands; he swung in a low cross to the edge of the box, and Rambo venomously volleyed the ball across goal and in. The team’s reaction was fantastic and as I said before, spirit will do a lot for us this season. And getting down to business and pushing through that difficult time was all down to the team’s desire and hunger to win.

However, Sunderland did not just lie down and die. In the 70^th minute Altidore broke down our right flank and all Sagna could do was grab his jersey and pull him back. This was perhaps the most controversial decision of the game and the main reason I’m not too angry with the ref, despite most decisions going Sunderland’s way. As Altidore reached the top of the box the ref blew the whistle. Sagna stopped, but Altidore played on and just managed to sneak the ball in the net after Szczesny slowed it down. The play was called back and Sunderland were given a free kick instead of the goal. Obviously, I’m happy with this and I believe it was the right decision, but I’m curious about what others think.

After this, Sunderland seemed to have the life sucked out of them. Arsenal found their groove once more and in the 76^th minute Ramsey scored his second of the night. He darted in behind their defense and finished the ball right under Westwood.

Substitutions were made with Vermaelen making his return from injury and Nacho coming on for Walcott. Unfortunately, at the end Giroud seemed to twist his knee and Akpom had to come on for him. I don’t have any news on that, but I hope he’s not injured.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/table

The game ended 3-1 to the mighty Arsenal and things are looking up: top of the league at least for tonight! Özil already seems to have gelled with the team, Giroud is on fire, it seems to be Rambo’s year, and the team looks to be a team of winners at last.

For now, I’ll leave you all with a few more questions than usual:

Is this Arsenal team ready to win trophies?
Is this Rambo’s year?
What did you think of Özil’s debut?
Can OG win the golden boot?
How important is Flamini to this team?
Should advantage have been played when Altidore scored?

Thanks for reading! 😀

Written by: Dylan.

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