Togetherness has no price tag! With thanks to the Telegraph for photo
So 107 million pounds later we are still better than the spuds…Anyway straight to business, the player ratings.
Szczesny (8.0) – I have to say today he looked like the keeper we want to have between the sticks. Commanded his area expertly, fantastic communication with his defenders and made vital saves that made sure that three points remained at the Emirates. Top performance.
Gibbs (6.0) – By his standards he had an average game. Didn’t have much in him going forward and struggled a bit against Townsend. That said, he won his fair share of duels against him and slowly settled into the game as it wore on, especially with the introduction of Lamela. Finished the game strongly.
Per (7.5) – Powerful display by our BFG. Commanded the skies with his height, read the game well to make vital interceptions and most of all, controlled the game from the back. We now see why he has the armband albeit for now.
Kos (7.5) – As we have come to expect from the French man, top class display. Managed to keep Soldado out of the game and even managed to cover for Gibbs when he bombed forward or lost the ball. At the end, was at the heart of that fantastic Arsenal defence which stifled out the frustrated Spurs.
Jenkinson (6.5) – Was a surprise inclusion but he did put in a shift at right back. Showed good tackling but struggled a bit against the strength of Chadli in the opening stages. Settled as the game wore on.
Wilshere (5.0) – Was taken off before half time because he is ‘ill’ and it showed. Wasn’t his normal energetic self but did manage to carve out some decent chances. Hope he has a quick recovery over the international break.
Ramsey (7.5) – He really is coming of age. Energetic display all round, showing that right now no one is as committed to the cause as he is. Chased down every single ball and was always looking to instigate attacks. He needs to work on his final balls and decision making in the final third but other than that, wonderful performance.
Rosicky (6.5) – Put in a sublime performance, always looking to run at players and play dangerous balls behind the defence. Picked up a yellow card with a stupid challenge on Capoue though.
Cazorla (7.5) – Was his usual majestic self, always looking dangerous when on the ball. It is obvious that his technical ability was a class above everyone else. His movement was a bit subdued though, as a result of being played on the wing. Took two dangerous free kicks with the second one agonizingly close to making it 2-0.
Walcott (7.0) – His pace behind the defender was always a constant threat and this paid off when he swung in a low cross for Giroud to slot home. Would have piled more misery if it wasn’t for the outstanding Hugo Lloris.
Giroud (8.0) – Man of the match for me. Continued his goal scoring exploits making it 3 goals in 4 games with a wonderfully poked finish from Walcott’s cross that fooled everyone. Showed fantastic skill, composure and movement to score the goal. His work rate overall was amazing, despite the fact that we played a conservative game in the second half, making him a secluded figure upfront. Still won his aerial duels and chased down players. Needs to work on his pace on the ball. Sometimes his mind is sharp but his execution lets him down.
Flamini (6.5) – Looked like he lacks match fitness but still put in a decent performance. Made an interception that would have led to a goal chance if Ramsey hadn’t rushed his decision making. Received a yellow card for a crunching tackle on Paulinho.
Monreal (6.0) – Came on for Rosicky and should have put away a chance from a Walcott shot that was spilled towards him by Lloris. Otherwise was solid defensively and helped us see out the game.
Sagna N/A – Came on very late for Walcott. Didn’t have much time to influence the game though he made some important aerial clearances at the end to see out the result.
For me the most eye catching thing about our win was the collective team display. Everybody worked hard for each other tirelessly and gave nothing away.
It is always a good day when the Spurs kneel before our superiority. COYG!!!
Sweet 16: AR16 blasts Arsenal into 16th successive CL campaign
Here are my thoughts on today’s second leg of our Champion’s League qualifier against Fenerbahce.
In today’s match Arsenal played very well in the first half, but then slowed down in the second half.
Arsenal started the day with a 3-0 lead on aggregate, and they would soon go 4-0 up. In the 25th minute Aaron Ramsey scored Arsenal’s first goal of the day. Podolski made a run through the middle of the field and when he reached the top of the box, he tried to slip Walcott through. Theo just got a touch and hit it across goal, where Rambo scored a poacher’s goal and put it into the open net. Two goals in two games in the Champion’s League for Ramsey, and it was quite clear that he would br full of confidence for the rest of the game.
In the 39th minute, Emenike broke down the left flank for Fenerbahce. He fired a shot that Szczesny could only palm onto the post. He then made a great close range save, although the shooter was called offside.
Right after halftime, Podolski went down with a hamstring injury. He went off on a stretcher, which isn’t a good sign. Gibbs would come on for him and play LW for the remainder of the game.
Arsenal played a very boring game throughout the second half, just trying to keep the lead and not get tired.
In the 60th minute Yaya Sanogo came on for Giroud. He had a very quiet game and didn’t do much, as we were mostly playing defensively after he came on.
In the 72nd minute Gibbs broke down the left flank. He swung a short, low cross into Ramsey’s feet and the Welshman happily volleyed it with one touch into the far lower corner. It was a very well taken shot and Ramsey was on top of the world.
In the 74th minute Ryo came on for Walcott and after that there were multiple fitness concerns, first about Jack and then about Aaron. Jack was clearly being targeted and really needed some protection from the ref, which he did not get. Then at the very end, Aaron went off holding his groin, but he was walking around after the game so he should be fit for Sunday.
Finally in the 90th minute, Ryo broke down the right flank and put a low short cross into Jenkinson’s feet in a play that basically mirrored our second goal. Jenkinson hit it well and was unlucky not to score.
Man of the match was clearly Ramsey who scored a hat trick across both legs and was involved in all aspects of our game. He seems set for a breakout season and I’m very happy for him.
Overall, Arsenal played well across both legs and will deservedly enter their 16th successive Champion’s League group stage. Now Arsene has no excuses: we are in the Champion’s League and the window is ending soon; signings need to be made.
For now I’ll leave you with some questions:
1. What did you think of our performance tonight?
2. Do we need to strength before the North London Derby?
We’re only happy when it rains – We’re only happy when it gets complicated! 😉
I was not very confident for our encounter with Jol’s Fulham today. I believed a combination of our fatigue from playing/travelling midweek and Fulham’s good start, as well as an ‘in-your-faces’ approach to the game by them, could prove too much for us. I was hoping for a win but counted on a draw.
My biggest concern were the lack of defensive midfield skills and formational indiscipline, as was so apparent against Villa last weekend. But I did not need to worry, as I had somewhat forgotten that Arsenal play more compact and disciplined in away fixtures compared to our home games, with defence and midfield moving up and down the pitch as a well-drilled double-unit, leaving very little space between the lines. This meant Fulham were given very little chance to penetrate the centre of our midfield and pounce on our potential frailties there.
It also helped that we played with three in midfield, where Fulham tried to play in a more traditional 4-4-1-1 formation; as a result, the Cottagers were often outnumbered, outmanoeuvred and outsmarted by our boys today. It was clear that Arsenal are a team and Fulham are a collection of individual players who still need to get used to each other.
Our team:
First Half
Arsenal started with the right tempo and clearly had the bit between the teeth. After ten minutes, Rosicky produced a fine ball over the Fulham defence to Theo; the Englishman did not hesitate for a moment and shot towards goal from within the box, but Stockdale was equally responsive and made a decent save. Arsenal then put a lot of pressure on Fulham with a number of Walcott corner kicks in quick succession, and it was really good to see that we were a real threat from these set-pieces.
It was also good to see that Szczesny was successful in finding OG on a number of occasions, but unfortunately the Frenchman’s headers did not end up near a fellow Arsenal player in most instances.
We were playing well and dominating early proceedings, but it still needed a bit of fortune to get the ball past the inspired Stockdale. Ramsey tried a shot from well outside the box but OG was in the way, despite him trying to make himself sparse. The Welshman’s drive hit Giroud’s leg, which fortuitously led to the Frenchman assisting himself. He pounced on his gift like a tiger and lifted the ball over the goalie with both style and composure: 1-0 to the good guys!
As can be expected, this early adversity gave Fulham new impetus to have a real go at Arsenal in this game, and we lost a bit of our initial concentration and intensity of play. However, Szczesny was focussed and decisive when he had to be and made two fine, instinctive saves from efforts by Taarabt and Duff in quick succession.
Good link up play by OG then led to a decent shot with the outside of his foot by Santi from outside the box, but it was not hard or precise enough to trouble Stockdale. At this stage, Cazorla was still looking a bit rusty, and he gave away a dangerous free-kick just outside our box. Our wall was poor but somehow we got away with it as Riise’s ball is smothered in the wall, and a relieved Szczesny can make an easy save.
During the second part of the first half, Arsenal start to look a bit tired and Fulham find more and more a way through the centre of our midfield. Luckily, Taarabt is desperate to shoot himself from outside the box on a number of occasions when there were better options for him, and all his efforts are wasted or dealt with by our Pole in goal.
Ramsey picks up an unnecessary yellow card which put him in a precarious position for the rest of the game. Luckily, the team played some fine counter football and especially Theo showed great composure and drive at this stage of the game, although his ball to Gibbs, after a run to the Fulham box all the way from midfield, was the wrong option.
Cazorla also started to find his feet and composure in the latter part of the first half. He was more and more enjoying his free role, and when he found himself not far outside the Fulham box with the ball, he had the vision to place a precise ball into Theo’s path. The Englishman takes an instant shot which is parried by Stockdale, albeit towards the outside of the Fulham box. Podolski is at the right place and the right time – after he started the attack in the first place with his ball to Santi – and shoots the ball high and precise into the Cottagers’ net: 2-0! And the fans sang with all their heart: ‘He scores when he wants’ 🙂
The goal was reminiscent of a Bergkamp goal more than a decade ago:
Second Half
Fulham came out with renewed desire and impetus – Jol is good at pep-talk – hoping to score an early goal in the second half, as to get the crowd behind them and start an onslaught on the tired legs and minds of our Gunners. But it is all quite toothless and Jol’s substitutions also do not have much impact, at least initially.
We start to look quite tired after sixty minutes, but once again our attackers come to the rescue. OG collects a ball brilliantly from defence at the half way line with three fine touches. Once again, Theo is there to collect his pass and drive forward towards the Fulham box. Theo plays the ball to Santi who takes it to the by-line, after which he lays it back to the onrushing Podolski. The German is allowed to take a first touch which enables him to trigger his brilliant left cannon of a foot for a well placed, and yet very hard, shot into the keeper’s left corner: 3-0 to the yellow and blues, and game well and truly over! 😀
The fans go crazy and serenade the likes of OG, Ramsey and Podolski with great passion: you can sense the happiness of the away support all the way into our living rooms. As John Lennon sang: Happiness is a warm Gun(ner). 🙂
Fulham do not give up entirely, and despite some very fine positioning and reading of the game by both BFG and Sagna throughout the game, they get caught out for once by a bit of magic from Berbaflop. The naturally blasé Bulgarian received the ball with his back to the goal near the by-line; he takes a touch, turns and shoots/passes towards goal – all in one, smooth move. BFG is too slow to react and Szczesny is only able to get his hands to it, but he parries it across his goal line, where Bent is very grateful to slot the easiest of chances into the net: 1-3.
Bent, apparently a big Arsenal supporter, has now scored against the mighty Red and White with five different clubs. I wonder how he feels about this unenviable record?! 😕
Fulham tried to push for a second goal after that but Arsenal brought on Jack and Nacho to firm up our midfield and defence. There were even further chances for us to score a fourth goal, but especially Theo lacked the killer-instinct of The Pod to take full advantage of his own hard work as well as the opportunities that came his way.
Conclusions:
The Pod announced himself onto the new season with two goals of the highest quality.
Giroud, Rosicky and Theo worked very hard, and often unselfishly, for the team today, and especially the Englishman showed a different side to his game against Fulham.
Santi grew into the game and together with Ramsey he was real class today: both produced a master class in modern midfield football play and made the likes of Sidwell and the former Spud-Smurf look very ordinary.
When Arsenal play away, we are more compact and disciplined in our defensive duties, and as a result, we appear to be less dependent on having a strong DM in our line-up. However, it remains to be seen whether this is the case against the stronger, and more settled teams.
Sagna impressed once again at CB and it looks like he and the BFG could form a very fine partnership if need be.
The FB’s, Jenks and Gibbs, played with good discipline and were full of energy and enthusiasm throughout the game.
Today’s game was ample evidence that we have a number of attackers who can score and produce assists, which makes it hard for the opposition to eliminate our attacking threats. This could become a real strength again this season.
The team already has good fitness levels, the players find each other relatively easily at this stage of the season, and there is a really good togetherness in the team.
More players are required to add strength in depth.
The team would still benefit from a quality attacker: especially a winger who can also play in the middle, or a nr.10 who can also play on the wing, would be very welcome.
A good game to watch, some pride restored and some real pluses to take from today.
Written by: TotalArsenal.
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Today’s match was the perfect response after opening the domestic season with a shocking home defeat to Aston Villa: Arsenal were able to strike back by thrashing Fenerbache in our Champions League qualifier, 3-0. Throughout the entire match, Arsenal were always the better team with our midfield bossing theirs, allowing us to set the tempo and dictate play.
After a couple of turnovers to start the match, we settled into the game very quickly with some convincing link-up play and one-touch passing around the opposition’s box. Halfway into the first half, Koscielny took a nasty kick to the face and left the game needing stitches to stop the blood that was profusely coming out from above his right eye. Still, this did not alter our game plan or confidence and we carried on just as we did before – dominating possession and the match. However, we were not able to score and the half ended in a goalless draw.
Fenerbache never really posed a threat in this half and struggled to even string together successful passes. This can be attributed to our players quickly closing down open spaces and by continually forcing them backwards. The only areas of improvement for the first half would have been our finishing and our general play in the final third. Due to having a striker like Giroud, we seem to force a lot of crosses into the box but lack the bodies there to capitalize on these chances. As we saw in the second half, we are a much more cohesive and dangerous team when we play the ball along the ground and attack through the middle.
Fortunately for the home supporters, Fenerbache looked more lively in the second half and even created a few scoring opportunities of their own. However, we were always the better team and never really looked in danger of losing this game. Gibbs opened the scoring in the 51st minute after receiving a fine cross-goal pass from Theo. However, the goal was only made possible after a brilliant through ball from Ramsey that set Theo up with the wonderful assist-opportunity.
From there, we never looked back and Ramsey added to his MoTM performance by putting away a goal of his own with a hard, low shot that fooled Demirel. To add insult to injury and to ensure our place in the Champions League group stage, we padded our lead on a well-taken penalty kick by Giroud. Theo was given a pretty fortunate call after he was taken down in the box with relatively little contact. Despite the goals scored in the second half, I still thought we looked more threatening in the first half and were just luckier to score in the second.
Before I begin on the player ratings, I’d like to explain how I arrive at the number a player receives. For me, a seven represents that a player has sufficiently done what has been asked of him and not much more. An eight signifies that the player has contributed more than the average player, but that either his performance has room for improvement or I’ve seen better games from him lately. A nine or higher is reserved for outstanding performances and is usually accompanied by tangible statistics on the score sheet. Ignore previous ratings from past articles, as I’ll look to be consistent from here on out in the new rating system.
Player Ratings:
Szczesny (9.0) – Was hardly tested in the first half, but he made a couple of brilliant saves at the end to keep our clean sheet. Great job on winning the 50/50 challenge on Sow, and really only made a mistake or two in his clearing.
Gibbs (8.0) – Great job at getting into scoring position on the first goal and combined well on a memorable series of one-touch passing in the first half together with Giroud, Cazorla and Ramsey. His crosses left much to be desired and sent quite a few straight into the opposing player who was defending him.
Koscielny (7.0) – Difficult to rate him any higher, but in the 30 minutes he did play, he was relatively untested aside from making an authoritative clearing header and breaking up a couple Fenerbache advances. It was unfortunate that he was the victim of a clumsy challenge by Webo, and I’m hoping for a speedy recovery for our best CB.
Mertesacker (6.0) – He was sufficient in keeping a clean sheet, but was caught out of position a couple of times on Fenerbache’s attacks. Sow noticeably got behind him on a couple of occasions, but fortunately for us, he missed wide on both those chances.
Sagna (7.5) – Continues to prove that he is more than capable of playing at both RB and CB. He was a commanding presence in the air in our own end and was assertive in his challenges when Fenerbache were on the offensive. Notably, he made a decisive and clean sliding challenge to break up the play when Sow was on the fast break in the second half.
Ramsey (9.5) – Easy candidate for MoTM as he provided the initial through ball that opened up the scoring and also scored the second goal to give us a comfortable lead. He was everywhere on the pitch tonight and continually frustrated the opposition with his relentless work ethic and getting a foot in on challenges. The only area of improvement would be turnovers, especially one in the second half that almost led to a Kuyt goal.
Wilshere (7.5) – Showed good forward thrust when running forward with the ball and created a few good scoring opportunities for us. It was his run and pass that allowed Ramsey open space to score the second goal. However, he ran right into opposing defenders on a couple occasions that led to turnovers when he could have passed the ball instead.
Rosicky (6.5) – I felt that Rosicky’s play was quite bi-polar; at times, he drove us forward with his passing and dribbling, but at other times, he made questionable passes that were either out of reach for our players or simply went astray. Still, he played satisfactory and nothing to really complain about (I just expected more after his performance against Villa).
Cazorla (6.5) – There were moments where Santi was unplayable with his one-touch passing and close ball control that allowed him to escape defenders closing down on him. Then, there were other moments where he more or less disappeared from the game entirely and looked exhausted. Santi is our most skilled player and I expect him to have a greater influence in every game. Fortunately for him, others stepped up today and took over the creativity reigns.
Giroud (6.5) – Aside from the very well taken penalty kick, I thought Giroud looked very average. He had a couple of nice combination plays in the first half and showed that he is capable of making nice passes and fancy touches if given time and the opportunity. However, I forgot he was even on the pitch in half of the first and the entire second half, until he stepped up at the spot and scored. As our lone center forward (for the time being), we need more from him if we’re to beat better opponents.
Walcott (7.5) – Theo did a great job of causing problems for Kadlec all night, and his pace and movement were always a threat. He provided two assists in the game, which solidified an above average rating, but he was extremely wasteful throughout the entire match. He had plenty of chances to receive the ball in and around the box, but instead lost possession because of very poor touches and passes. Theo has yet to show the goal scoring form of last season, though it’s nice to see him very involved in our offense.
Jenkinson (7.0), Podolski (3.0), Monreal (6.0) – I thought Jenkinson did an excellent job coming in at RB. He was running up and down the flanks and contributed as best he could in the offensive zone. He nearly scored at the end of the game and provided a couple good crosses into the box (unfortunately no one was there).
Difficult to rate the latter two players since they both came on pretty late in the game, but I thought Podolski was awful. He seems to be lacking fitness and confidence – his first touch off a beautifully played pull back pass by Nacho stood out as a big wasted opportunity.
Despite all the positives, there are still some concerns. Against a more skilled and determined team, we could have easily been exposed since there was far too much space between our midfield and defense in the second half when the game opened up. Our center backs, notably Mertesacker, were also caught out of position on a couple occasions, which allowed Fenerbache some great looks at goal that fortunately went wide or were brilliantly saved by Szczesny.
We also need to start capitalizing on our scoring chances (such as those in the first half) and become more decisive in the final third. Our strategy of crossing the ball into the box does not work when there is only one individual (sometimes none) in there. I believe Arsenal football is always more successful when played along the ground and this calls for a more mobile and fluid striker up front.
Finally, playing away from the Emirates seems to be the solution for allowing us to settle into games quicker. The tension and hesitation were noticeably absent and the squad was full of confidence and decisiveness instead. We cannot continue to play poorly at home as it takes away what is supposed to be a massive advantage – we need to approach the game in the same free-flowing manner that we do on the road. All in all, we managed to qualify for the Champions League group stages (barring some bizarre miracle) and it was a great game that should hopefully give us some confidence and momentum for the upcoming clash against Fulham.
Here are my thoughts on Arsenal’s season opener against Aston Villa.
In today’s match, Arsenal came up against a group of cheating Villains. 😉 The team started off strong and played well throughout the game, only to be thwarted by the refs.
Within the first six minutes of the game, Arsenal were one nil up. Ox overlapped Rosicky down the left side line and the Czech played the ball down the line. Ox ran along the touch line, cut inside near the side edge of the box, and spotted Giroud. Giroud saw this, made a near post run, and put the ball across goal with his preferred left foot. It was a fantastic overlap by Ox and a fantastic near post run from Giroud, followed by a smart finish.
After this opening goal, Arsenal looked calm and collected. Agbonlahor made a normal run through the middle, got a lucky touch through Koscielny’s legs and found himself through on goal. Szczesny made the right decision to come off his line and go for the ball. He came out, and Agbonlahor touched it past him and dove like an Olympic swimmer over the Pole.
Let’s rewind a bit: even at this relatively early stage of the game the ref had been calling everything Villa’s way. Maybe to the ref it appeared that Szcz took down the Villain, but replays show the dive and exaggeration. This is why FIFA needs to allow reviewing technology, especially for red cards and PKs.
That aside, the ref incorrectly called the penalty. Szcz saved Benteke’s original kick brilliantly and was unlucky when the latter got the rebound and headed it in. An unfair 1-1.
Gibbs would then get unlucky. He and Weimann went up for a header, and Gibbs came out bleeding. The ref, once again incorrect, ignored a head injury when he should’ve stopped the game. Kieran will likely need stitches, but let’s hope he doesn’t have a concussion and can rejoin the team soon. After this injury, we were down to only 4 first team defenders and 0 left backs. This is another example of how thin the squad is, but I will touch on that later. Immediately, Jenkinson came in at right back and Sagna switched to left back.
After this, the refereeing only got worse. Call after call went against us. I was proud to see our players stand up for themselves, especially Jack and Aaron.
Eventually, Gabby would break into our box again. Kos made a smart tackle and hit the ball out of play, clearly getting the ball before the player. However, Gabby once again showed his true Villainous colors and dove like a scuba diver, and the penalty was called out of nothing. I can’t give the ref a break on this one. There was a ref behind the goal, on the sideline and on the field, and none could figure out that it was a good tackle. Even on live TV from a zoomed out camera angle I could tell it was a good tackle, so I don’t understand how none of the referees saw it. Benteke stepped up again and calmly tapped it home, after Kos received a yellow card.
Arsenal had many chances of their own. Rosicky went through twice and was unlucky on both occasions. Theo fought for a ball in the box and managed to hoof the ball across the open net, but it was deflected. Chances came and went, but one thing struck me as odd. The ref only seemed to call fouls for us when we had advantage, almost as if to stop us from building an attack. The game got very dirty, but once again the ref seemed to think Arsenal was at fault. Jack got a yellow for a challenge that wouldn’t have been called if Villa made it, but when Jack was constantly fouled there was nothing called.
In the end, the diving Villain got a run at our defense again. Kos dove forward to slow down the play and completely missed the ball and player. The ball rolled to Benteke, but Mertesacker and Jack had it covered. Strangely though, the play was called back and Kos was shown a second yellow despite clearly not getting any player! The call was incorrect and we can only hope that the card is reviewed and rescinded, otherwise we could be down to 3 first team defenders for our next premier league game. We are in desperate need of another RB, CB and maybe even another very young LB, if neither the CB nor RB is capable of playing LB. Down 2-1, and down to 10 men, all incorrectly. It looked bad, and in the end it was bad.
Arsenal continued to play well, and Aaron slotting in at CB. At this point I would’ve liked to see Podolski come on for Giroud, even if it was just to crush some Villain skulls. Sadly, he wouldn’t come on until it was far too late.
In the end, Arsenal would commit everyone to an offensive corner. Villa broke on our 3 defenders and scored a 1 on 1 goal. I don’t blame anyone of Arsenal at all: we had nothing to lose. If two wrong penalties hadn’t been called and Kos hadn’t been sent off, we wouldn’t have been in that situation.
At the very end, Sagna went up and over a Villa player and landed hard on his neck. It looked bad.
After the final whistle chants of “spend some f***ing money” and “you don’t know what you’re doing” went up in the stadium.
Overall, the team played fantastically and at the least deserved a 1-1 draw. They also played with a great spirit. And I think one of Wenger’s issues is that he doesn’t want to ruin this spirit. But most World Class players will have that spirit and if worse comes to the worst, buy relatively young (25 and under) and put that spirit in them over the years. We need reinforcements. The team we have now is great, but the squad is too thin. Let’s hope Wenger buys at least a DM, CB, and RB in the coming days before our next game. It looks bad now, but the season isn’t over yet.
For now I’ll leave you with some questions:
1. What did you think of the game?
2. How many players do we need before our next game?
3. Will Wenger sign players during this window?
4. Should Wenger get a contract extension if our only signing this window is Yaya Sanogo?
Thanks for reading.
Written by: Dylan.
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Here are my thoughts on Arsenal’s final pre-season friendly against Premier League rivals, Manchester City.
In today’s match, Arsenal started slow and ended slow, but really played some great football for the middle 60 minutes of the game.
Our first goal was an early one. ManCity was putting us under huge pressure and it seemed as though we were going to be torn apart, but Arsenal wasn’t going to just lie down and die. Aaron Ramsey took the ball off the foot of a City player, ran at the City midfield, got his head up, and played a through ball right onto Walcott’s foot. The pass was incredible: perfectly weighted, right to Theo’s foot, and it was a pass that took great vision to spot. However, the run dictates the pass; and Walcott’s run was brilliant. Theo was patient (which was important so that he wasn’t offside), waited for Clichy to turn, and as the ball was played he used his speed to make a diagonal run across the face of Clichy, go in on goal, and chip Joe Hart. Great run, great pass, great finish.
Our second goal would again see Ramsey and Walcott combine to embarrass Joe Hart once more. The City midfield was relaxed and Aaron made a run into the space between Manchester’s midfield and defenders. Santi played a straight forward ball to him, and rather than try to be fancy and dribble through the defenders, Aaron played a quick ball back to Theo; Theo one touched it back to him right through two defenders, and Rambo rounded the keeper and placed the ball calmly into the net. Ramsey and Walcott both looked very mature, calm, and unselfish for this goal which was fantastic to see from two players who have been known to dribble too much.
Not long after that, Arsenal would grab a third. City were slowly passing around the ball in our half, one of our defenders made a good tackle, the ball rolled to Santi’s foot, and Santi played a quick ball to Theo. Theo received the ball and quickly turned. He saw he had space and ran with the ball down the touchline. He saw the chance to play a long ball and sliced a humongous cross all the way to the other side of the field, putting so much power on it that he actually fell over. Giroud saw the ball coming, opened up, touched it by the City defender, and chipped Joe Hart: a world class finish for a striker who looks set for a big season.
Giroud would later score a beautiful volley, but it would be called offside. It would’ve been another Walcott assist and it was indeed a beautiful cross from him. However, an interesting part of all of these chances is how quickly we turned defense into offense, something some say we’ve lacked without a true DM. However, Ramsey especially is learning how to do this very well, and bringing in Gustavo would give us another player who is absolutely brilliant at doing just that: something to make note of. 😉
City would pull one back in the 79th minute. A long through ball saw Negredo touch the ball past Koscielny and calmly finish the chance. In fairness, Arsenal had made a large number of changes and most of them were youngsters, but that doesn’t excuse Kos’ relaxed defending on this goal. We’ll give him that one, though, as he had a great game overall. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen when we play them in the league, though.
A final interesting point was that Sebastian Perez made his debut for Arsenal in this friendly, but without officially signing for Arsenal (or at the least, it hasn’t been announced yet). Perez looked very committed to Arsenal already though; even picking up a very professional yellow card to stop a Manchester attack. For those who don’t know, Perez is a 20 year old Columbian defensive midfielder on a week’s trial at Arsenal. He looked fairly impressive with a few smart turns and tackles, but from what I saw he looked more like a box-to-box midfielder than a DM.
However, all I’ve seen of him was this 23 minute debut, and I did hear that he started as a number 10 and slowly moved his way back through the midfield to DM, so that could explain it. I expect he’ll be signed soon, and that’ll be a very nice signing, but for the future.
Speaking of which, Wenger made comments after the game, admitting that our squad is thin. This seemed odd to me, as it would have been the perfect time to gloat about how his squad was “capable of winning the title”. However, it’s good to see Wenger admit this, and it seems as though he is ready to make not just one, but a few signings.
Overall, the team played well on Saturday and hopefully this win will inspire the team and lead to us starting the season strong.
For now, here are some questions:
1. How did you think our squad looked on Saturday?
2. How many signings do you think Wenger will make?
3. Can this squad handle the fixtures that lead up to deadline day without reinforcements?
Here are my thoughts on Saturday’s Emirates Cup game against Napoli.
Saturday’s match was Arsenal’s first real test of pre-season. Unfortunately, the Gunners did not look up to the challenge. A slow start to the game was a precursor for a mostly slow game.
It was just the 6th minute Arsenal’s defense fell apart. A long ball was lobbed from half field and into our box. Jenkinson did good work tracking back and marking Insigne, only for the ball to take an unlucky bounce on his head that put the ball right on Insigne’s foot and he easily put it by a helpless Fabianski.
You can’t really fault Jenkinson in this case. A lot of defending is experience and he is still young. From that experience he will learn to just head the ball away and not risk keeping it in. Better to learn now than to have to learn in a cup final, or a crucial Premier League game, or something else. He will improve, so let’s not slam him too hard for this.
Their next goal came in the 28th minute with many different Arsenal players at fault. To start with, Hamsik was not closed down fast enough in the midfield. Both of our DMs were too high up the field to cover him and he broke down the field. The next problem was that Mertesacker was too slow to track Pandev’s diagonal run across the field. Finally, Fabianski absolutely made a mistake by coming out without getting the ball. Mertesacker was close enough to contain Pandev and our other defenders would’ve had time to come back and cover. Overall, it was bad positioning and communication that led to their goal, but it all starts in the midfield. A single DM would’ve been sitting farther back and Hamsik may not have even gotten that ball, but due to the double DM pivot one miscommunication where both go forward can lead to that mistake.
After Arteta came on, we seemed to regain some shape and begin to play better. Finally our breakthrough came in the 72nd minute with a beautiful overhead kick from Giroud off of a corner kick. Now, I don’t want to hear it called Sagna’s goal. Yes, he hit it, but come on. Everyone loves a bicycle kick so let’s just stick with that.
After that the tempo picked up and in the 86th minute we struck again. A great ball off a free kick from Arteta, a save by Reina from a header, and a brilliant follow up from Koscielny put the ball in. The determination from Kos was very nice to see and it was great to see him celebrate with the fans.
Unfortunately, the game ended soon after and it ended 2-2. Many positives could be taken from this game though. Rosicky looked lively, Jack looked very close to 100%, and some real heart was shown by Ox and Chuba amongst others.
Game 2 vs Galatasaray:
Here are my thoughts on Sunday’s friendly against Galatasaray.
Sunday’s match started out fantastically for the Gunners. Some really good passing was occurring and the team looked much better than on Saturday.
Sanogo had a chance early on that he just couldn’t convert. Sanogo and Walcott appeared to combine very well throughout the game and overall Sanogo had a pretty good debut.
Arsenal looked very dangerous during the first half and a few chances just wouldn’t go in. Theo missed one or two chances before just barely missing again after a beautiful long ball from Aaron. A few more chances would come and go before a nothing cross from Theo somehow ended up in the back of the net.
After half time the Arsenal looked lethargic and slow. Zelalem and Giroud coming on gave us a little bit zip for a while, but it slowed down again.
In the end, Drogba won a very soft penalty that he easily converted and then a mistake at the back from Mertesacker allowed Drogba to take a touch by him and put in the winning goal.
After this, Arsenal threw everything at Galatasaray, but in the end it wasn’t enough. Arsenal didn’t deserve to lose, but in the end they did and it comes down to being more clinical in the end. There was a mix of positives and negatives from this match. After half time, we missed the zip that Rosicky had provided in the previous game, but it was a positive that Zelalem looked like he could provide that in the near future. Miquel did not look ready for the first team, but Gibbs looked set for a big season and Jenkinson looks determined to prove himself this season. It was a disappointing game, but hopefully it shows Wenger that we need more players in our squad, especially with Gervinho and Chamakh leaving.
For now I’ll leave you with some questions:
1) What did you think of the Emirates Cup?
2) Did Ox looked ready to take on that CAM role?
3) What youngsters from the Emirates Cup should be given a chance to stay with the first team in our friendly against ManCity and prove they’re ready for first team?
Here are my thoughts on today’s pre-season friendly against Nagoya Grampus.
In today’s match, Arsenal came up against much tougher competition than we have faced so far this Asia Tour. We had another quick start with another good goal from Giroud, but the Japanese side showed their class and held us for a while after that.
Our first goal was an excellent cross from Rosicky to an unmarked Giroud, who headed it calmly past the near post. I have to say, the unsung hero of this pre-season has been Rosicky. His most memorable moments being his assist to Olsson, his assist for Giroud’s first in the Vietnam game, and this cross today among other things. If he can stay fit all season, he will be big for us. He seems to be someone in the squad who connects well with everyone, and I hope when he decides to retire he will go and get his coaching badges and stay with Arsenal.
It took until the 25th minute for Arsenal to break through again. Theo picked up the ball and brought it down, slipping it past the defender to Giroud with the outside of his foot. Giroud saw he had no space and as he was slid, tried to lay the ball back for Ryo.
Many people are saying it wasn’t a penalty as Giroud was never really hit by the tackle. They are correct, BUT the penalty was NOT called for a foul. It was called for a handball by the player who slid at Giroud, therefore the call was correct. Arteta stepped up like a real leader and let our young Japanese winger take the penalty in his home country. Ryo stepped up and put a powerful penalty just inside the left post. It was a fantastic penalty and he, the crowd, and the Arsenal players were thrilled for him to score in his home country.
At halftime Arsene made only a few changes. Wilshere came on for Rosicky; Zelalem came on for Mikel; Podolski on for Giroud; and Gnabry came on for Ryo. It was after these changes that Arsenal picked up the pace. Gnabry made a few good runs on and off the ball, and had a couple of chances. Theo also had a few shots and the team looked far better. I will put this down to Zelalem.
Zelalem came on and looked even better than before. His normal composure and desire to do well was there, but coupled with good movement from Walcott and Chuba, he had a few defense splitting balls that left the opposition’s defense standing in awe.
One of these through balls led to our third and final goal. Zelalem picked up the ball, saw Theo, and placed a pass with pace, on the ground, between three or four defender, and Theo took a good touch and chipped the keeper from close range.
A few more changes were made throughout the game with Miquel coming on for Gibbs, Aneke on for Ramsey, and Akpom on for Theo. After Miquel came on for Gibbs we must note that there were no defenders on the bench. Wenger really ought to think about buying a new defender, preferably one that plays centre back, but can play as a right back as well. This would mean we have two full defensive lines, as well as a CB who can play left back and a CB who could play right back. Two defensive injuries and an absence should not leave us with only four first team defenders, especially when one is playing out of position.
Nagoya Grampus’ goal was poor marking by our defenders, but Fabianksi really should’ve had the relatively weak header Kisho Yano put in.
Overall, the team played well today, but we need to test ourselves against an EPL strength team to make sure we’re truly ready for the season.
For now I’ll leave you with a few questions;
What did you think of today’s friendly?
Does Arsene need to bring in a new defender? If so, what position/positions should they play?
Here are my thoughts on today’s pre-season friendly against Vietnam.
In today’s match, Arsenal looked a bit sluggish. After a quick start and a Giroud goal, the tempo of the game slowed down for a bit. This is surprising, considering the strong line-up with which Arsene started. However, in the end we picked up the tempo and put seven goals by yet another team.
The first goal involved a smart, chipped through ball from Rosicky to Giroud. Giroud received the ball, was calm, and fired it across goal without even looking. He got a bit lucky, as the goalie got a touch to it and it hit the post, but in the end it was in.
After that goal Arsenal became too comfortable. The midfield looked off the pace and the possession was not good. We didn’t use the wings as much as we should’ve and it stopped us from creating chances. Later in the first half Poldi wiggled his way into the box and tried to lay it off to Giroud, but in the end they weren’t on the same page. Then Poldi again would take a shot similar to Giroud’s first and hit the post, with the rebound from Gnabry being saved by the Vietnamese goalie.
It took until the 43rd minute for Arsenal to regain their tempo again, with Giroud putting a nice curling shot into the upper corner; and then a minute later, a nice run from Ox with a smart through ball at the end, saw Giroud in on goal and he calmly chipped the goalie for his hat trick.
At halftime Arsene changed nearly the whole team. Right away Theo had a nice chance, but his first touch let him down and he had to turn to lay the ball off to the Ox, who instantly curled it into the top corner; so, no complaints on that one. However, Theo’s first touch was untidy throughout the whole game and he ruined countless opportunities. It’s only the beginning of preseason, but if Theo wants to play striker, his touch needs to be well above the level it’s at now.
Akpom would also show his potential in this game. In the 55th minute, Ramsey poked a nice ball through the defence. Chuba timed his run well, stayed onside, calmly turned around a defender, and bent a ball into the far post with his favored right foot.
Only a few minutes later Zelalem did it again. He played a nice 15 yard ball on the ground, through the Vietnamese defense to Ox, who smartly squared the ball for Akpom to tap home his second. However, this goal was all about GZ. He got the ball a few yards outside the box, got his head up, and hit the ball with the perfect pace and power to find Ox’s feet. For a 16 year old, Zelalem is class. If he keeps his head down and works hard, we really might have the next Fabregas on our hands. He should be given a few Capital One Cup games this year for sure.
Finally, good combinations from Eisfeld and Miquel down the left saw Eisfeld play a good ‘negative’ ball to the Spaniard’s feet, and Iggy fired it across goal into the far post’s side netting. It was a poacher’s goal for the left back.
After that seventh goal, Arsenal sat back and Vietnam got a lucky goal. Martinez’s foot work on this goal was not good as he struggled to get off the ground. Wilshere came on and looked fit, even forcing the opposition’s keeper to get a red card for handling the ball outside of his box to stop Jack from scoring.
One final interesting note: two of Arsenal’s four centre backs today were not recognized centre backs! In the first half Sagna played in the middle of the defense and looked very fit (and much sharper than Kos). In the second half Aneke replaced Sagna in the middle. It’s interesting that Aneke has played in the middle two games in a row now. Perhaps Wenger is looking to convert him? Or is there just no room for him in our crowded midfield? Please let me know your views below.
Overall, Arsenal looked tired today. Maybe it was the heat or the constant training or the long nights and early mornings. Or maybe it’s just preseason. Zelalem impressed again (even earning some praise from Jack in a post-match interview), Giroud looks set for a big season, and the future still looks bright.
Here are a few questions for you:
What did you think of Arsenal’s performance today?
Is Wenger looking to convert Aneke to CB, or does he just not fit into Arsene’s plans for our midfield?
Do we need a fourth choice CB or could we use Sagna there when necessary, put Jenks on the right, and have Bellerin as backup on the right?
Quick thoughts on a game that was easy on the eye, against a weak but hard working opponent.
Today, Arsenal played a lot better than expected, given the heat and it being the first game of the season. A lot of youngsters were given a chance in this game, although Arsene opted for a solid defence with only Miquel, and Jenkinson to some extent, as non-regulars. He also started with the so familiar double-DM pairing of Ramsey and Arteta which gave the team structure and balance from the start. Fabianski was preferred to Szczesny, but I don’t think we can read much into this (yet). Up-front, Ox played in the hole, with Gnabry and Theo on the wings; and the biggest surprise of the day, Akpom held the line.
Arsenal played with a relatively high tempo from the start and passed the ball round well. As a team, they looked a bit rusty at times, as a number of combinations of passes were not completed and did not lead to a chance in the first half.
It was good to see us using the wings well, and especially Walcott looked sharp. Gnabry looked lively, and reminds me a lot of Ox, but especially in the first half he lacked a bit of patience and composure at times. In the second half he improved, and the assist for the second goal showed what he is capable of when he opts to go to the by-line and produce a fine assist for another attacker, rather than go inside and try to score a wonder goal.
Ox played quite well in midfield, and his interception in our own half and subsequent run with the ball led to the only goal in the first half. Ox remained calm and pulled back the ball to Theo, who took his chance really well from the edge of the box.
Arteta was solid and demanding, and Ramsey was very active and driven and one of the best players of the half. Really nice to see him up for this game and trying to make things happen.
Gibbs and Jenkinson did have little to do as defenders but their forward play was below par in the first half. A number of crosses were inaccurate or weak, and they looked rusty in general, although they did worked hard to support our attackers.
Akpom struggled to assert himself on the game in the first half: he did not make himself available and was not anticipating the game / be at the right place at the right time enough. However, just like Gnabry, he improved significantly in the second half, and he did everything right for the second goal. He is still very young, but is showing real promise.
Arteta, Mertesacker, Fabianski , Koz and Sagna did not have to do much defensively, so I cannot pass much judgement on their performances today. Sagna was very effective going forward, though, and he produced a couple of assists in quick succession.
I was a bit disappointed in our young, Spanish CB today. Miquel made some fine interceptions and produced a very nice long ball, but he was at fault in defence a few times and this could have led to a goal – stronger opposition would have pounced on his mistakes today.
Once the second goal went in, and with Arsenal bringing on Giroud, Podolski, Rosicky and Sagna it became a really easy game for us. Good chances were created and our players took them well. Zelalem and Olsson made good first impressions, and the latter converted Rosicky’s superb cross into the box really well.
It was great to see Giroud sharp from the moment he came onto the pitch; especially his second goal was a fine finish. The same goes for Podolski who took his chance well.
However, the goal of the match for me belongs to Eisfeld, who impressed me once again very much with his composure, reading of the game and effectiveness/directness. He was given great service by Giroud for his goal, but he still had a lot to do. He finished in a ‘Neymar-esque’ style, with a vicious and well-placed shot that left the half-decent Indonesian goalie with no chance whatsoever!
We cannot take much from this game, as our opponents were too weak to give us a proper game, but I liked our energy and appetite, the tempo with which we played and the many chances we created AND converted.
It was also great to see so many fellow Gooners supporting our team many thousands of miles away: they did our club proud! And luckily none of our players got injured.
Bergkampesque 