Lack of leadership & organisation cost us again – Ramires out-cheats and muscles our midfield
Lack of leadership & organisation cost us again
Once again, we were beaten yesterday by a set-back. Yes it was a blatant foul by Ramires on Coquelin, and yes Mertesacker should have stepped up quicker, and yes Sagna should have been stronger, and yes Szczesny should have been nearer to the goal-line to have a better chance of saving Mata’s fine goal; but these things happen sometimes. Just like it took our defence ages to organise themselves and adjust mentally to what was required after Koz was sent off against Man City last week, Arsenal once again were unable to cope with early adversity on Sunday.
I accept that Mertesacker is a slow turner and lacks pace in general, but I have always felt he was our best defender because of his organisational skills and special awareness/positioning. I have also said on numerous occasions that Vermaelen is not a good captain, but a great first soldier for the team. Against Chelsea we lacked organisation and order, and this was not just down to our CB’s not leading the team.
Both our DM’s were out-foxed and out-battled by the Chavs’ midfield and as a result did not offer enough protection to our defence. But for me, the main culprits are Vermaelen and Mertesacker, the former as the captain, and the latter as the one who simply depends on his organisational skills for being in our defence in the first place.
After we conceded the first goal, Arsenal were all over the place: our shape and discipline were gone, and Chelsea were able to control the ball for large spells without us having any say in it. Wilshere tried desperately to organise things but was in the wrong position to do so effectively.
The second goal, a penalty scored by FF, was a direct result of the lack of discipline and organisation in our midfield. Ramires was allowed far too much space in our box, and Szczesny, who had spotted the danger, had to cover far too much space. The Brazilian danced around him and when the Pole decided to outstretch his long leg, the former decided to cheat and fall over it.
It was never a penalty, but you can see how the referee was fooled by it. But the most important lesson to learn is that our team deals badly with unexpected set-backs, and it has cost us dearly again.
Ramires out-cheats and out-muscles our midfield
Both Diaby and Coquelin were taught a lesson today by the hard as nails and cheating Ramires. I loved the way Coquelin did not give up and put everything into his game yesterday. However, it was also clear that Coquelin has some way to go, and we only have to look at Ramires’ performance to realise what we are missing at the moment. I thought both Ramires and Mata were a class apart yesterday yesterday; by far the best players at Chelsea at the moment.
Mata’s first touch and finish were sublime for Chelsea’s first goal, but there is so much more to his game that stood out. His positioning and constant movement are simply fantastic, and so are his positional awareness and work-rate.
Ramires’ is also hard-working and has great positional sense, but on top of that he is streetwise and hard as nails. He put fear into Diaby and Coquelin, even though they both did not give into his bullying too much. Both Diaby and Coquelin missed the battle-preparedness of Ramires, and most of all, the experience of the Brazilian. He got away with far too much yesterday, though, as the referee was incredibly lenient towards him, but his overall performance made the difference in the match in my view.
It is hard to put my finger on what exactly makes the difference between the displays of our DM’s and Ramires, but a lot has to do with timing; as in knowing when a hard tackle has to be made, and when and who to rile of the opposition. We got this in the past from players like Petit and Vieira, and also from the career-self-destructor Flamini.
Many of us agree that we miss a beast of a DM in our team. We need to find a Ramires type as soon as possible: an experienced one, who can also guide Coquelin to the required level.
It also fair to say that we are simply missing ‘beastliness’ throughout the team. We only collected one yellow card yesterday: compare that with the number of cards by MU against the Spuds yesterday, and you know what I mean.
I don’t mean raw nastiness, but the ability and determination to fight and be very physical when needed; to leave a foot in now and again and rile the opposition a bit; to not just rely on the technical and tactical aspects of our football but also battle for every ball. Wilshere has it, Vermaelen has it, Sagna has it, Giroud has it, but too many don’t have it, and the addition of a traditional DM with some footballing skills, and ideally also, a beast of a CB, would make a world of difference to our team this season.
No Arsenal team should be called ‘a bit timid’, and no Arsenal team should lack leadership and organisational skills when things are not going our way.
It is time for Arsene to sort it out and he only has ten days left to do so.
It was once the toughest away fixture in the Premier league, with Chelsea holding the greatest sequence of unbeaten home matches: 86, from March 2004 – October 2008. But hey, Roman Abramovich’s millions can buy you almost anything these days…yes it can even help you win the Champions League title.
In the present, they do not hold that psychological advantage over their opposition, so we should travel across London on Sunday showing no fear. The only person who should be holding any sort of fear should be Rafa Benitez. In what is perhaps the most demanding managerial position in football today, the pressure is persistently mounting on him. It’s only a matter of time before he joins the long list of Chelsea casualties; we shall see who is next through the revolving door soon enough.
Last time around, we were beaten thanks to some set piece problems and a few important players missing. This time we have almost a full squad to choose from with Szcz, Sagna, and Wilshere available for the return fixture. Chelsea won’t know what hit them this time, because these three are perhaps our most important players in our starting line-up.
Let’s begin now shall we!
Missing in Action:
Arsenal: Rosicky (calf) remains on the sidelines (not sure he left to be honest), which is unfortunate because he could provide a much needed rest to either Santi or Jack. Arteta (calf) and Fabianski will also miss out.
Kozzer returns from his one-match suspension. Gerv misses this one due to Coupe d’Afrique des Nations duty.
Chelsea: Romeu is out with a knee injury. Everyone’s favourite defender Terry returns after a two month absence. He appeared as a sub midweek, so I would not be surprised if he comes back in to the starting line-up for this one.
Chelsea are also devoid of both Mikel and Moses because of ACoN.
Predicted Line-up:
I would not change the line-up from the one we saw midweek. As far as I’m concerned I think that is our best possible line-up. I like Coquelin over Arteta because he is faster and more tenacious, and his attacking link up work is also very underrated. Santi gives us the width that Ramsey doesn’t, but can also wander in field and create opportunities. Diaby is unplayable at times, and without Mikel he really has a chance to boss the midfield. Let’s give it a go again!!!
Expect to see Terry back at CB and Ivanovic to return at RB. Now Lampard has signed a pre-contract with LA Galaxy, it will be interesting to see if he keeps his starting position, or whether he relinquishes it to Ramires and Luiz. Chelsea will most likely use a 4-2-1-3 formation with Torres up top, Mata and Hazard on the wings, Oscar at AM, Ramires and Lampard central, and a back four of Tumbling Terry, Cahill, Ivanovic, and some traitorous swine known as Cole.
Previous Encounters:
Arsenal 1 – Chelsea 2
On September 29th Arsenal faced a Chelsea team that was sitting on top of the ladder and in red hot form. Diaby tested Cech from long range early on and subsequently injured himself in the process; an injury that looked rather innocuous at the time but kept him on the sidelines until last weekend. Chelsea responded with a goal thanks to a bit of skill by Torres from a set piece…however, it was the poor marking from Kozzer that allowed the expensive flop Torres to score. Gervinho levelled the score before half time with a rather impressive turn and shot (his only real involvement of the game it has to be said). Mata finished off the tie with a great free kick that took a slight deflection of Kozzer. Not Kozzer’s best game but I still maintain that he is our best defender when fully confident. Nevertheless, Chelsea got it done when it Mata’d…I’ll get my coat.
Arsenal 0 – Chelsea 0
Two great saves from Cech and some wasteful efforts from another traitorous swine meant Arsenal could not breakdown a robust Chelsea team.
Form Guide:Arsenal: WLDDW Chelsea: DWLWL
Despite dropping points against the Manchester Oilers a lot of positives could be drawn from our second half performance. Although we only beat Swansea 1-0 midweek we played all over them for the entire match and could quite easily have belted them all the way back to Wales. The signs are positive, we must continue to build on the momentum we have.
Chelsea haven’t had too much luck recently (they did beat Stoke away 0-4 which is not to be scoffed at) losing out to QPR, Swansea, and drawing against Southampton in their last three home fixtures. Let us hope the nightmare continues.
This week I’ve dipped into the Arsenal Archive and pulled out this video clip. It is a highlights package from our 2-0 win over Chelsea in the 2002 FA Cup final. Oh To, Oh To Be, Oh To Be A Gooner!!!
One to Watch:
Theo Walcott: He finally signed the thing! Hallelujah we can all breathe again. Now it’s time to get fully behind him and let’s see what he can produce under Arsene’s tutelage. His stats are undeniable, his speed is blistering, and his finishing is top notch. It’s time for him to put his money where his mouth is, and I have complete faith in him doing so!
Demba Ba…again! We had to deal with him not long ago at the Emirates and he managed to put two past us on that occasion. The man is a quality poacher and scores whenever given a sniff. If I was Torres I would be worried because Ba can deliver (as he showed midweek against Southampton) and is eyeing his starting position. It’s unlike Chelsea to do a shrewd bit of business, but I feel this time they’ve struck gold for a fraction of the cost.
Mata will also be one to keep our eye on; last time around he was afforded too much room, and we can’t let it happen again!
Key-Match up:
Francis Coquelin vs Juan Mata
Our young midfield enforcer against Chelsea’s most dangerous player and creator Juan Mata (8 assists, 7 goals). Now that Walcott has signed his contract. all that remains for most Arsenal supporters is the need for a midfield enforcer/beast/monster/barbarian/troglodyte/cannibal, in other words a snarling midfielder who can protect the back four and boss the midfield. Nigel De Jong is only 174cm and 72kgs, Gattuso is 177cm and 77kgs, Flamini is 178 cm and 67kgs, M’Vila is 182cm and 80kgs, Francis Coquelin is 182 cm and 75kgs and still developing. So you don’t have to be a brute to be a great defensive midfielder! Coquelin has his chance to usurp Arteta’s position (tough, given our winning % without Arteta is 14.28%) in the starting line-up (similar to how Flamini did to Gilberto) by putting together more strong performances like the one against Swansea. He and Diaby complemented one another brilliantly; what a partnership they could forge for both Arsenal and France!
Mata caused us all sorts of troubles at the Emirates (1 goal and an assist), so Coquelin must be watching him like a hawk the entire game. Not give him an inch, and he and the team must be careful not to commit any fouls around the box because he is deadly! Shackle Mata and we go a long way to winning this match.
Pre-Match Finger:
This week’s finger goes to the Bori! They are a secret coven of demons responsible for the possession of bad luck. Searching the Encyclopaedia of Demons was the only next logical step to curing Diaby of his injury curse. He is a magnificent player who always slips so seamlessly into the line-up. He has a powerful shot, amazing dribbling skills, fluid movement across the pitch, long legs that allow him to dispossess opposition players easily…he is our Paddy V version 2. The only problem is he cannot stay off the treatment table for too long. Arsene has been very patient but how much longer can it last? He is commanding a good salary and potentially holding back another player in the squad.
Now rumour has it that to get rid of this demon one must say the word ‘iron’ repeatedly…I’m suspect though. because Jack is made of iron and surely that’d be enough to exorcise the demon from Diaby! The only other solution is a special dance; now Sagna, BFG, and Podolski tried it in the pre-season…
But, it clearly wasn’t enough because it only worked on Diaby temporarily. At the next home game we need everyone at the Emirates to perform the same dance once Diaby comes on to the pitch! Let’s vanquish this demon so we can unleash our own in the centre of the pitch!
Pre-Match pat on the back:
This week’s pat on the back goes to Jack Wilshere. Not because he is a future Arsenal hall of famer (he will be!), not because he’s going to be one of the best in the world (he will be!), not because every Arsenal male fan has a man crush on him (they do!); it is because he’s everything we love in a player. Not because he scored the winner against Swansea (it was darn good though!), but because the kid has a wise head on his shoulders. He has come back strong from a serious injury and does the little things on the field that others don’t. Against Swansea, towards the end of the game, he made a simple gesture to his team mates to ‘think about what you are doing’. We had the lead and the game was drawing to a close and he was making sure we didn’t lose our heads once again. Keep the lid on it he’s still young you say…sorry, that lid blew off when he scored this pearler at the tender age of 16.
see 1.19 mins
‘Ask the opposition’ returns again, this week. It is designed to get some friendly banter from our opposition fans and get their insight for the match ahead. This week the answers were kindly provided by CD from http://www.chelseadaft.org, and Blue Champion from http://www.bluechampions.com or his twitter handle @bluechampion. Let’s see what they’ve written for us this week:
1) What happens with Torres now Ba is scoring for fun?
CD: Torres is still the clubs number one striker. He has been good at times this season but badly needed a rest. I expected a better reaction from him the other week against Swansea after watching Demba Ba score two on his debut at Southampton but he didn’t seem bothered for the first time and the fans turned on him including me.
BlueChampion:Torres goes to the bench. And in the summer (if not this month) leaves the club and saves about £9m per year in salaries. Earlier his results were poor and now his efforts are also poor. Barring a miracle, he’s a goner.
2) Who has been Chelsea’s best player so far this season? What is he capable of?
CD: Juan Mata once again is our best player with Eden Hazard a close second. Mata finds space and can hurt you. You have seen at the Emirates that he can take a set piece, he can score goals and create them. He is a perfect number 10.
BlueChampion:Juan Mata. He’s the magician that pulls the strings for Chelsea. All attacks go through him and he has such chemistry with all forward players that he is a threat all the time. What’s he capable of? Wait until Sunday.
3) What’s your take on the Frank Lampard situation?
CD: Frank Lampard deserves another contract in my book. He is still fit, still performing and scoring goals in the Premier League. People forget he missed half a season through injury two years ago and remains an important part of our squad. You need experience in the squad to bring out the best in people and if he leaves this summer, Chelsea would have made a mistake.
BlueChampion:He’s 35 this summer. I’m with the club. Happy for one-year extensions with pay cuts. We already have a crowded midfield with young talents – Ramires, Luiz, Romeu, Oscar, McEachran (on loan) and Kevin de Bruyne (on loan). Looking forward to his Bobby Tambling record. After that he should stay at club’s terms or go.
4) Benitez…how much longer will he last?
CD: I hope Benitez goes sooner rather than the summer but I can’t see it happening. He is too slow to react to situations that are happening in front of him on the pitch. Look at Wenger or Mourinho. If things aren’t going well, they make instant changes to try and affect the game from the bench, positive changes. He has had chances to do that in our last four three home games, hasn’t done it quick enough and we haven’t won the game. Apparently, he told the team at half time on Wednesday being 2-0 up against Southampton at home “wasn’t safe” and we needed a third goal! Who on earth would say that to a Chelsea team 2-0 up and cruising against Southampton! (No disrespect to them of course!).
BlueChampion:Certainly until the end of the season. Remember his contract is for 18 months with an option to review at the end of the season. So if we don’t find a more permanent manager (which he is clearly not), he can continue his contract which runs till end of 2013/14 season.
5) What position/player is your weakest link?
CD: At the moment it seems that at right back is our weakest link. “Dave”( César Azpilicueta) has done well there but has been skinned twice in three league games against QPR and Southampton and we have conceded twice. I am hoping Branislav Ivanovic moves back out there with JT coming into the middle for Sunday.
BlueChampion:Our weakest link could be the double pivot (two of Lampard/Ramires/Luiz). All these are basically attack minded players in the supposedly defensive double pivot. You would find acres of space in the middle of the park to exploit and you can easily win the midfield battle. If only you had Arteta!
6) Which Arsenal player would you like to have and why?
CD: Theo Walcott. For the life of me, I have never understood why Arsene Wenger has never played Walcott through the middle as a striker until it has got to the stage of him leaving? He is a readymade Thierry Henry replacement with his pace alone. Of course he still needs work playing there but his raw pace and ability should justify him starting week in, week out. I see he is about to sign a new deal but if it falls through, I would love Roman to bring him to Stamford Bridge!
BlueChampion:Theo Walcott. Because he brings in a new dimension to the Chelsea squad. He can be a great plan B. We have too many ballers now but we need players like Walcott who can threaten you with sheer pace and he is a good finisher too. He can be a striker option as well as a wide forward player. Hope he doesn’t sign that extension of yours (oops too late!).
7) What is your prediction for the match?
CD: God knows to be honest. At home at the moment Chelsea are a nightmare. We have attacking flair, expressive players playing expansive football until we reach the final third and then find it hard to break sides down. Benitez talks of missed chances against Southampton, but there were hardly any real clear cut opportunities. Out of 18 attempts on goal just three were on target. If Arsenal come here and set their stall out to defend and hit us on the counter, we could have real problems. In saying that, if we can get at the Arsenal, we can cause you all sorts of problems too. Whoever defends better wins the game and it’s as simple as that.
BlueChampion:My prediction is a 2-1 win for Chelsea. Will be an open match. Arsenal’s defence (minusKoscielny) would just suit our bunch very well. We are a much better team now than we had met you last at the Emirates stadium. Even John Terry would be back. But you’re losing Arteta and Kosielny. On paper, Chelsea do look a stronger team with a greater possibility of a win.
Prediction:
Chelsea have only won one in their last seven home games, and I expect the bad run to continue. We will be choc-full of confidence after the Swansea game and the signing of Theo. It should be enough to see us get over the line on our way to a 1-2 victory. Now I wasn’t too sure about my prediction this week so I signed up to a free psychic website and asked a lady with 20-25 years of experience in the field a couple of questions:
Oz: Will Arsenal beat Chelsea this weekend? And by how much?
Jetember: More than likely yes. 1-0
Oz: Will John Terry fall over again?
Jetember:I’m seeing no
Oz:Bugger! My mate TMHT has had some bad luck in his life can you help?
Jetember:I can say a special prayer for your friend (she begins swinging a chain with a cross attached and speaking in another language. 2 minutes later…)
Oz:Thank you. Will we win the Champions League?
Jetember:Unfortunately no
That ended the conversation as I concluded that she knew nothing. I should have known considering she had rap music playing in the back ground. I’ll stick with my prediction! 1-2 to the good guys.
Give Theo a chance! Cavani-Cruelty. Jack gave Arsenal its identity back.
Give Theo a chance!
It has been disappointing to read the negative comments and fans player ratings across the blogospere of Theo’s recent performances. In the last game, against Swansea, Walcott managed to get into scoring positions on a number of occasions and he also was able to get his fellow striker Giroud in on goal a few times. Theo missed his chances and of course he should be judged on that. However, he got close on a number of occasions and on another day he would have scored two or three goals: such is football.
He has played 24 games for us, and many of them were as a substitute. However, he has already amassed 14 goals and 10 assists; that’s 1 goal/assist per game. In the last two seasons Walcott had either a goal or an assist in 22% of all our PL goals. What is it that people are not getting re Walcott? It is about time to drop the gut-feeling and look at the hard stats. It is a must Arsenal sign him up, and I for one will be a very happy bunny when we do so.
He wants to be a central striker and in order to do so, Arsene will have to adopt the way the team plays. The way Arsenal were set up on Wednesday might be the way forward, and of course it will take time for things to settle down and the necessary automatisms starting to work. But we’ll get there, and I have no doubt that Theo can become one of Arsenal’s greatest goal scorers if and when he commits to the club for the long term. His partnership with Giroud is a potential match made in heaven, but it will need to be developed, and we need to remain patient.
Cavani-Cruelty
I have written before how much I despise the transfer window gossip circus. 99% is made up and will leave fellow bloggers with constant feelings of disappointment. The latest gossip is based on Arsenal spending BIG money on Cavani. Those of you who have seen Cavani play, and I don’t mean in a video compilation but at least one whole match, will know what a phenomenally good striker he is. He would suit perfectly into Arsenal, no doubt about that, and if we are moving towards a 4-4-2 formation it would be even more perfect: we could have Cavani and Theo to start, with Giroud and Podolski as back-up; or Giroud and Cavani to start.
But it is very unlikely to happen. He is a sought after striker and comes at a very high price. If any of the oil-clubs show a serious interest then we are likely to be out-bid by them, unless of course he really would insist on going only to Arsenal. I cannot see it happen myself, and I can see it all end in tears.
Jack gave Arsenal its identity back
It was fantastic to see JW10 in the hole on Wednesday. With Coquelin and Diaby dominating the midfield behind him, Jack was able to dictate our attacking play. He gave the team shape and focus and real attacking intent. Arsenal created a lot of chances through playing football on the floor, and that against an opponent that was set up, and very well-drilled, in avoiding this from happening. Jack cracked the Jacks’ structure though, and this has been missed so badly recently.
Jack’s ability to move into space in front of him with the ball, as well as passing it round with ease and composure, made all the difference. As soon as he goes past one or two players, everything is on the move, and gaps start to appear in the opposition’s defensive wall(s), which Jack spots and either moves into or plays the ball into. We have missed this a lot with Santi, who looks almost constantly to pass the ball and receive it back, without necessarily making much progress. I feel Jack has more forward thrust and makes things happen. Santi playing on the wing might suit Arsenal and him best. There is more freedom to move around the field and yet he gives good cover to our wing-back as well. He is a great player and has the potential to develop into our new Pires.
But there is no doubt in my mind that Jack gave Arsenal back its identity, with his vision, passing, penetrating, passion and drive, and I expect Arsene to start with the same eleven on Sunday. I also would like to stress again that Coquelin and Diaby made a real difference for us. Together they were able to protect our midfield better and also support Jack going forward. Both are good tacklers and good in the air, and they will get better the longer they can play together, and either of them can play well with Arteta as well.
I still really want a beast of a DM, as Diaby is so injury prone and Coquelin is not yet the finished article, but the combination of Diaby-Coquelin and Jack worked really well against Swansea.
Let’s see how they hold out against the Chavs on Sunday!
Arsene Wenger’s much-maligned zipper was a direct correlation to the team’s performances the past few weeks: a constant struggle, a lack of shape and pieces fitting together and frustration in the lack of consistency. However, today we ended up getting the result we deserved after several missed opportunities throughout the game. The line-up changes paid immediate dividends with Santi out wide, Coquelin as the defensive midfielder and Jack playing in the hole. Jack Wilshere’s capped off an inspiring performance with a goal in the 86th and rewarded a full 90-minute collective team effort from the squad.
Unlike past games this season, Arsenal started the game off with purpose and urgency. Despite Swansea’s immediate pressure, we quickly established the tempo and our passing game, thus forcing Swansea’s defense to turnover the ball on numerous occasions. However, some questionable defending eventually led to a Swansea scoring opportunity that was fortunately wide of the mark by Graham. Arsenal was able to win back possession of the ball many times, but our passing and decision making in the final third left much to be desired. Our defense would be tested once again as Sagna had a mental lapse and allowed Routledge to sneak in behind him. Luckily, Vermaelen covered him and neatly broke up Swansea’s offensive push.
The game continued with Jack driving our team forward and Diaby fluidly joining the play with him, but we still had issues penetrating Swansea’s well organized defense. Once again, Swansea took advantage of some poor marking by our back four and Bartley was able to turn a free header that beat everyone but the crossbar. A little later, our defense was again tested and Vermaelen and Mertesacker were caught too far apart, but Vermaelen once again saved the day with a last minute diving tackle. Despite all the defensive lapses, we dominated possession and were really pressuring Swansea when they had control of the ball. Our best scoring opportunities in the half came from an early Theo cross to Giroud, who really should have done more with the header; and from a corner, where the ball somehow landed on Vermaelen’s foot who was denied by a diving Vorm.
Arsenal began the second half rather sluggishly and failed to build further on a positive performance in the first half. Swansea looked more composed and settled into the game, until Diaby intercepted a pass and sent a quick long ball to a wide-open Theo who wasted his breakaway chip shot wide. From here on out, Arsenal were by far the better side and completely dominated possession and scoring opportunities. After numerous missed opportunities by Theo, Giroud, Wilshere, Santi and Vermaelen, we were finally able to get on the mark late in the game. Santi delivered a nice pass to Giroud who beautifully one-touched it to Jack, who put Swansea away for good.
Player ratings:
Szczesny (8.0) – Did not concede any goals, was pretty much non-existent as Swansea barely threatened and took no risks on chances that were somewhat on goal. Gives our team plenty of confidence when he’s in goal.
Gibbs (8.5) – I thought Gibbs was one of our top players today. He was often isolated on the left hand side with Santi drifting centrally a lot and was still able to influence the game on his own out wide. Notably, he won the ball back in the 2nd half against three Swansea players near their corner flag and produced some great runs down the flank.
Mertesacker (7.0) – Questionable defensive coverage in the first half that almost led to a Bartley goal, in addition to another where Vermaelen fortunately saved both with a crucial diving block. Aside from those defensive lapses in the first half, Mertesacker was again a steadying presence for the back four and always makes the easy, simple passes.
Vermaelen (8.0) – Two crucial defensive plays where he denied Swansea clear chances at goal. He also found himself in the right places off corners on several occasions and while it would have been a delight to see him score that sitter at the end of the first half, he is a defender after all.
Sagna (8.0) – Recovered well from his early defensive lapse and actually stripped Routledge of the ball on the same play, before clearing the ball out. He pushed forward very effectively and linked up well with our offense. Produced a beautiful cross that Walcott slightly missed and unfortunately hit the post. Had the presence of mind to run all the way across the field to challenge Graham and cover for Gibbs in the second half, when he saw that Santi was central and Gibbs was on his own.
Coquelin (8.0) – He played a very aggressive game and always had a move forward mentality to his game. Produced a nice effort on goal in the first half and was fairly involved offensively. This performance should give him some necessary confidence going forward, but he did fall victim to several turnovers. However, I believe the turnovers are a result of his lack of playing time, opposed to a knock on his ability.
Diaby (8.5) – What a difference one game makes. His performance today was a stark contrast to the one vs. Man $hitty. He established his presence in the center of the park early on and won numerous headers, made several good runs into space and was making all the right passes (had one poor pass in the 2nd half and a poor first touch in the 1st but was pretty much perfect). His quick long pass to Theo suggested that he hadn’t missed a game all year. If he can continue this form and stay healthy, Arsenal will be a force to be reckoned with.
Wilshere (9.5) – There isn’t much more that can be said about this lad that hasn’t already been said. He almost played a perfect game and gave our offense the shape that TA desires, and was so influential on his driving runs and ability to penetrate Swansea’s well organized back four. His goal in the 86th minute relieved Gooners all over the world and I’m sure everyone will agree that he, of all people, deserved to score today. The only knock I can maybe place on him was a turnover of a Szczesny pass in the 1st half, and over-dribbling at times in the opponent’s box that led to lost scoring opportunities or deflections once he did decide to shoot (Chico’s block in the 2nd half). Aside from that, he was just fantastic and boy I’m relieved to have him back and performing at the level he currently is at.
Cazorla (8.5) – He was much more effective from the wing position and seems to thrive in a secondary creative role. Santi gives us a different look out wide and stretched the defense in the second half with his passing and fluid transitions with Jack. A lot of space opened up for him because of the attention Jack was commanding and Santi often drew away defenders himself, opening scoring opportunities for Giroud. His defensive contributions often go unnoticed, but his sneaky ability to win back the ball cleanly is a joy to watch. I would have liked Santi to be more deadly in the final third; though you can’t really fault him as he almost always makes the right decisions, even in tight spaces. Also, he drifted far too centrally, almost to the right side of the pitch at times, and he’ll have to be more disciplined in his positional play against a top team like Chelsea this weekend (Gibbs won’t be able to cover Ivanovic and Mata on his own).
Giroud (8.5) – He always gives a full effort every time he’s on the pitch and his ability to hold up play is something Arsenal has not been blessed with in past seasons. He had several good scoring chances on goal, but seemed to often shoot right at Vorm. However, he has a knack for getting himself into good positions and his one-touch pass that set up Wilshere was beautifully done. Also of note was that Giroud’s determination regularly caused Swansea defenders to rush passes which eventually led to turnovers further down the field.
Walcott (7.0) – My rating of Theo’s game might be harsh, but if you’re auditioning for the striker role, you better finish off the majority of chances that you’re given. Despite getting himself into good positions to score, he wasted three chances wide, shot another right at Graham’s chest and missed a flick on header that hit the post. Fortunately, all can be forgiven after Jack scored late, but I’ve come to expect better finishing from Walcott. The end product wasn’t there today, but he certainly worked hard in his defensive responsibilities to help Sagna on the right.
Overall, a great team performance and Swansea were fortunate to not have lost this game by a larger margin. If we can continue to maintain high pressure and dominate the midfield, we should definitely see more positive results like this one in the future. Today’s line-up was what many of us have been calling for and I’m excited to see Jack dictate play and excel in the advanced midfield position. Here’s calling for some consistency going forward and a healthy squad.
Today’s match was totally spoiled by referee Dean at the very start of the game. Koz should have known better, but who would have thought he would be given a red card by Dean on top of conceding a penalty?! I cannot believe that an experienced referee can opt to give a straight red and a penalty for the same offence in one of the ‘Super Sunday’ matches, so early in the game: what a total disappointment! Letter of the law or not, it was very harsh on Arsenal; and what should have been a fair and fantastic battle between two ‘footballing’ sides became a damp squib.
Arsenal, already out of sorts without its anchor, Arteta, as a result of a muscular injury, found it hard to adjust to the new reality of having to play with ten men, and MC smelled blood. Despite the introduction of Mertesacker, who usually helps the team to keep organised and focussed at the back, Arsenal were unable to bring some necessary organisation to our defence after Koscielny was sent off. By the time Vermaelen and Mertesacker had restored some order, Arsenal were already 2-0 down.
All game we struggled for control and shape, but we will never know how we would have fared if Arsenal had been able to play with 11 against 11 for the entire game. With Theo centrally up-front, it is so important that at least two midfielders push higher up the pitch to find him, or one of the two wingers. The surely knackered Cazorla struggled once again to put his stamp on the game, and to give us shape and focus from the key position that he holds. I find it unbelievable that Rosicky remains on the bench at the moment, but enough has been said about that!
Jack battled all over the pitch, and was so desperate to conduct our play from the back. But the players in front of him did not make the runs needed for him to pick them out, and without any proper wingers we were predictable and ineffective. Shall I say it again: Jack is enormous for us and our best on-field leader.
It was good to see that he did not have to fight on his own today. Vermaelen recovered strongly after the first 30 minutes and was immense in the second half. The same can be said about Sagna who played like the old warrior again, and what a beast he was for us today!
Diaby was very rusty and in my view it was a mistake to play him in Arteta’s role after such a long absence. The deepest midfield position is such a crucial position, both in terms of shape to the team and protection of the back-four, and I reckon it would have been better if Wilshere would have played there today; with Diaby in the more open role normally occupied by little Jack.
It is so hard to evaluate Theo’s performance today, especially as we played with 10 men for almost the entire game. As I have written in previous posts, I don’t believe we can play with Pod on the left and Theo in the middle without proper wing-play from the right. It was disappointing that Wenger had to take Ox off, and I believe it would have been better to take Pod off instead.
However, Theo’s inability to come for the ball in the air, and even on the ground, and to shield it so our other attackers and midfielders can come closer to the opposition’s box was very evident today. And when you play with ten men, this is an absolute necessity in my view.
In hindsight, it would have been better to take either Pod or Ox of for Mertesacker and replace Theo with Giroud. The Frenchman would have given us more support in my view.
I was not impressed with Theo today, but then I was also disappointed about the lack of shape in our team for most of the match, and the poor support we gave him; although having to play with only ten men had a lot to do with this, I reckon.
The sending off makes it a lot more difficult to give a fair verdict of Theo’s performance, but I reckon Wenger will be scratching his hair tonight on what to do with regards to his formation and strike-force, going forward.
Once Kompany was also sent off as well, which probably would not have been a red card if Dean had not given Koscielny one earlier, the balance of the game, which had evened out in the second half, turned towards us, as we pressed more consistently for a goal. However, regular misunderstandings between the players, and a lack composure by a number of individual players in front of goal, meant that we did not manage to score, despite trying very hard.
We should be encouraged by the second half performance, despite some of the shortcomings of our team as described above. Dean spoilt the game though, and I hope he will not get away with it this time.
Having watched the second half again last night, I felt a lot more positive about the whole game than I did when I watched the game for the first time. In the first half, Arsenal tried as hard as in the second half, but the belief was not there and our football looked a bit ‘theoretical’ as a result. We pressed them in numbers and tried to find openings, but the midfield and our attack looked like separate sub-teams.
This all changed in the second half, when we took the game once again to Swansea with plenty of energy, focus and with more invention. Swansea scored their goal against the run of play, and our defence should have done better in avoiding the chance happening in the first place and dealing with it as well.
We did not give up though and kept pushing for the equaliser, driven on by the real leader in this team: little Jackie Wilshere. Our goals came in quick succession by substitute Podolski and the other ‘driver’ yesterday: Kieran Gibbs. Podolski showed his predatory instinct with a fine turn and ferocious shot into the corner of the goal which left Vorm shapeless, and Gibbs’ goal was a Bergkampesque beauty; converting a fine ball over the top by Giroud with venom and precision in the roof of the net.
Before the goals, Arsenal had been close to scoring on several occasions but we lacked quality in our finishing: Giroud, Theo, Cazorla and Podolski all missed decent to great chances.
Why no Rosicky yesterday?
Cazorla is one of our best footballers, and I would always play him as long as he is fit. But Arsene has given him the responsibility to shape our attacks and direct our play, and I feel he is struggling in this department recently. He is no Fabregas that is for sure, and I reckon it is Wilshere who is mainly directing our football at the moment with his drive, overview and passing ability.
I am wondering more and more whether Cazorla should play on the wings, at least for a few games, and give Rosicky a chance to play in his position. I reckon we would get a far better shape to the team and become more inventive and effective as a result. But Arsene did once again not even use him as a substitute, and I am starting to wonder whether Rosicky is in line for being sold during this TW. Given the Czechs’ fitness problems I would not be too sad about that, as long as he is replaced. However, I think we are missing a trick or two at the moment, and Rosicky could really lift this team with his drive and ability.
Theo and Giroud not gelling yet
With Ramsey on the left, and Theo playing a lot closer to Giroud than usual, we did not have proper wingers yesterday. A lot of wing-play came from the wing-backs, and especially Gibbs did really well yesterday (if only he could learn to cross!). It was also good to see Sagna back with confidence and drive and I hope he will improve further against Man City. The cross of the game came from the much maligned Ramsey, who worked hard to get himself a bit of space and time to cross all the way from the corner flag onto Giroud forehead at a perfect height. But Giroud is once again trying too hard to convince his (few) doubters that he really is a good striker, which seems to affect his finishing.
Ollie works so hard for the team and tries to help as much as he can, but it is clear he is one of these players who needs to play regularly to be at his best. Theo also struggled to have a real impact on the game, as Swansea did not allow him, and the rest of the team, a lot of space during most of the game.
It was also clear that Giroud and Walcott have some way to go to become a strong partnership, but I do feel we need to keep playing them together for a while (maybe with Rosicky and Cazorla, or Ox and Pod, on the wings in a 4-4-2).
Second half offers hope of better times to come.
This season we seem to be a second half team. We play a lot better after the break which indicates to me that as a team we are not gelling enough on the pitch, and Wenger and Bould need to do a lot of work at half time to get the players to perform better both tactically and personally. It does seem to work, though, but we need to get the same level of performance for 90 minutes, if we are to beat the Northern and Southern Oilers in our next PL fixtures this month.
The second half performance offers hope of progress in terms of drive and spirit. But our defending needs to improve significantly, and Mertesacker will play a key role in this. He did not have a good game yesterday, but just like Giroud he is one of those players who need to play regularly to be at his best. We need his organisational skills and reading of the game to give us back shape and unity in our defence. Let’s hope he is back to his best again next weekend.
It is tough to be a Gooner at times like these. One moment we play heavenly football: Reading and Newcastle United away; only to fall back into mundane, clueless performances the week after.
It was important to win this game tonight, and dropping two points could turn out to be very costly in five months time. We did not deserve the three points against Wigan – a similarly poor performance as today against Southampton – and today we did not deserve more than a point either. In fact, some will argue we were lucky to get a point, given the fact that our goal was a Southampton own goal.
It is hard to put the finger on what our team was missing tonight.
Firstly, I thought our midfield did not play close enough to Southampton’s box most of the game. The problem with 4-3-3 is that our midfield is often stretched vertically rather than playing close together as more of a horizontal unit. Arteta often wants to sit deep, Cazorla needs to support the attackers and Wilshere has to cover the huge space between them: as a result the midfield is often stretched and therefore not cohesive enough. I am not a big fan of this at all.
Usually Wenger gets the midfielders to play closer together and push the oppositions higher up the pitch in the second half of games – after a good team talk at the break, so it seems. But this time, we did not improve as significantly in the second half as we did against Wigan and Newcastle United recently.
As our midfield was not capable of playing closer to our attackers, the latter looked isolated and ineffective. Theo and Pod got very little service, but Ox at least worked hard to create something for the others.
Secondly, and infuriatingly, the team lacked once again the required telepathic relationships; the automatisms of finding each other, and anticipating each other’s moves when passing the ball, were sadly missing today. So many passes went astray tonight with the intended recipient and/or the passer of the ball looking frustrated and misunderstood. At this stage, this should not be happening anymore, and I wonder whether the recent switch from Giroud to Theo up-front has a lot to do with it.
In our 4-3-3 formation, it makes a big difference whether we play Theo or Giroud in the centre of attack, and as a team we seem to be struggling in adjusting to the new ‘main man’. That’s why I reckon we would be better off to change to 4-4-2 now, and play both Giroud and Theo up-front together (and play with a more cohesive midfield behind them).
Thirdly, we lacked leadership tonight. We need somebody to hold this team together and to direct/conduct its style of football, and ensure our focus is never lost throughout the game. I have said it so many times, but TV is not that person. Jack is trying so hard to fill this void, as he has all the potential to become a (future) leader, and he seems to feel that something is not there, but the senior players have to stand up now and show stronger leadership.
Fourthly, some of our key players are struggling with their form at the moment. From one game to another, Pod is either wonderful or invisible; and poor old Sagna is struggling with a huge loss of confidence/form at the moment which might have cost us two points today.
On top of that, we still are not able to cross the ball effectively into the box. Other than Wilshere from set pieces, Arsenal are nowhere near consistent enough with their deliveries into the box, and that really is not good enough. What is the use of playing with wing-backs if they cannot cross the ball into the box properly?
Tonight’s result was disappointing, but I am not totally surprised. We are still a team in transition and more work needs to be done in terms of getting this team to click and be more consistent from one game to the next.
Let’s hope we will see a huge improvement against Swansea this weekend.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Newcastle United: they have a great loyal supporter base, are good to watch, and Bergkamp scored the best goal ever against them!
I’d like to start by apologising to Tim Krul for some of the words I said about him last time we met. For those who can’t remember this is what happened:
Yes, he did start time wasting very early on; yes, I hate when keepers do it, but I just wish he had of belted up Brave Sir Robin after the game. Then again, perhaps I should be more respectful when talking about Robin because according to Fergie he died during the Swansea game (thank you Ashley Williams).
(Just for those who missed it or need a good laugh. I did notice his accidental slip and todger grab also)
Anyway, back to the game!
Replacing Chris Hughton, after he had just brought Newcastle back in to the league, was always going to be a tough task, but until recently Alan Pardew had done it with perfection. They started last season like a house on fire: ‘who cares we all thought’, ‘they’ll drop off soon’. Well they did not, they finished 5th on the table, ahead of Chelsea, which is to be commended. Pardew has a bit of Arsene in him, with his eye for talented bargains; just look who he has signed since he’s joined the club:
Ba, Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Cisse, and Santon: that list is definitely not to be scoffed at.
Newcastle are an organised bunch who like to sit back defensively and hit you on the counter. I know what you’re thinking ‘yak, our least favourite tactic to play against’. It worked well against Man U and Liverpool, not to mention all last season, however, they are missing key personnel who contribute enormously to this tactic.
Missing in Action:
Arsenal: Rosicky returns, Diaby (thigh) is apparently back next week, Santos returns, leaving only Fabianski (ankle) on the long term injury list.
Newcastle: Ben Arfa (hamstring), Cabaye (groin), Gutierrez (leg), Ryan and Steven Taylor. Williamson may not come up for this one. Tiote returns from his one match ban.
An opposition with a bigger injury list than ours…yep it’s true I just pinched myself and their troubles remain. It is a shame, though, because it really has wreaked their season, then again it has done worse to ours in the past.
Predicted Line-up:
Optimistically, I am hoping we do not see Theo start in the middle again. He’s been okay the last two games, but we need better than okay. To me he walks around like Henry, you know; with a bit of a swagger. He doesn’t bust a lung, he doesn’t chase, and most of all he has not earned that right! He tends to time his runs too soon leaving the midfielders with no outlet and he gets muscled off the ball too easily. I’m hoping Giroud slips back in to test the average Williamson (Santi and Ox should try their best to attack him at all costs); just like Bendtner did a couple of seasons back.
The rest of the team picks itself really.
Previous Encounters:
Arsenal 2 – Newcastle 1
Some guy scored for us and then Vermaelen scored a ripper of a goal with seconds remaining on the clock. Some guy got in a tussle afterwards, the noise coming from the fans was immense.
Newcastle 0 – Arsenal 0
Joey Barton dived and made an arse of himself (what’s new), Gerv got sent off, Song got banned for stupidly stamping on him, but hugged him afterwards anyway. Poor game, and not the start we wanted for the season.
Not going to go into the 4-4 draw.
Form Guide (all competitions):Arsenal: WWLWL Newcastle: LWLLL
Despite our Cup blip, we are coming off our third premier league win on the trot. If we are a serious team with grand aspirations we must continue to perform. Teams around us won’t continually slip up leaving the door ajar for us to climb up the ladder; ‘Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect’, and I feel this is the case for us: let’s make our own future, I don’t give a stuff about other teams, I don’t want to watch other teams praying to Dennis that they slip up! Time to go on a tear, and have another unbeaten run!
Newcastle took the lead at Old Trafford not once, not twice, but three times yet did not leave with a solitary point for all their effort. They put up a prodigious showing, but in true Man United fashion they were out scraped by the final whistle. Despite their valiant showing they sit on a paltry 20 points (5 off relegation zone) and have lost 7 of their last 9 matches. Interesting to note that Newcastle have not won their previous 15 away games.
One to Watch:
Jack the Lad: He recently signed a long term deal with the club and really is a joy to watch. He isn’t afraid to do the dirty things no one else wants to, and cops it from the opposition week in and week out. That’s okay though, not even a kick to the plums could keep him down! If he continues on the right path this bloke is easily going to be a legend in the making. The best thing of all is, I couldn’t care less if he has a stinker, because if he does I can rest easy knowing he still gave 110%. Look for him to take control of the midfield in this one.
I will be keeping a watchful eye on Ba throughout the match. Not only because he is a dangerous forward who could trouble our defence, but because he may be joining Arsenal in the future. He would definitely add to our squad (that I’m sure of), I just hope he has a stinker and doesn’t touch the ball in this fixture!
Key-Match up:
The Demba Senegalese duo:
Demba Ba:
12/13: 11 goals in 18 (1) games (only behind Michu and BSR)
Papiss Demba Cisse
Only scored 3 goals this season thus far but managed to score 13 goals in 13 matches last season for Newcastle.
Both are top notch strikers and capable of brilliance (Cisse’s goal last season against Chelsea was amazing!), but unfortunately for Newcastle they do not really know how to work together. Last season Ba was on fire, he could do no wrong -> He jetted off to the African Cup of Nations -> In came Cisse -> He went on a tear -> Ba came back -> Cisse continued his form, Ba didn’t and went quiet -> Season ends -> Ba kicks in to gear again, Cisse does not -> What can Pardew do? It’s the same sort of position I feel Arsenal would have been in if we brought in Huntelaar. He’s too similar to Giroud, separate they are class players, together…not so much.
Let’s hope these two don’t click against us. If they do, Vermaelen and Mertesacker will have to be on their toes. The loss of Ben Arfa will definitely help quell their influence.
Pre-Match Finger:
The Media! The transfer window hasn’t begun yet but already we are being linked with every striker on the planet. It has gotten to the point where every defender, keeper, striker, winger, attacking and defensive midfielder, and some kids have been linked with us at one time or another. Loose sources, friends of friends, twisted quotes, money hungry players, ‘Arsenals bazillion dollar war-chest’, and of course the Theo Walcott Saga. It really is enough to drive a man bonkers. The sad thing is I’ll still be there every morning and night scouring the Arsenal/transfer news sites sitting and hoping (or swearing at Theo). Damn you media…damn you to hell!
Pre-Match pat on the back:
This week’s pat on the back is a two parter.
Firstly I’d like to thank the tube strike for being responsible for postponing our match against West Ham. Yes it was terrible not having a Boxing Day match to watch but it has been a welcome break for the team, and after the food I consumed on Christmas a bear-like hibernation period was needed. It allowed our first teamers a chance to freshen over a normally busy fixture period. We go in to the match fresh as a daisy (still think we should rotate the squad more often so we are fresher more often) whereas Newcastle come in after a 4-3 slog in the wet against Man United…big benefit!
Secondly (I can’t believe I’m saying this) I’d like to give a pat on the back to the Medical team. It’s been a long, LONG time since we have had such an empty sick bay (not to jinx it of course). I’m not going to get too carried away though because unfortunately the ghost of Diaby haunts the area and I’m sure he will be getting withdrawal symptoms soon enough! Here’s to good health…long may it prosper!
Heck I’m going with one more. Alan Pardew deserves one too; I like how he goes about it!
‘Ask the opposition’ returns again this week. It is designed to get some friendly banter from our opposition fans and get their insight for the match ahead. This week the answers were kindly provided by Paul from www.nufcblog.org , and Kev from http://www.newcastleunited-mad.co.uk.
1) What are your thoughts on the Demba Ba situation?
Paul:Most of the stuff in the media about it is just wild speculation; hence I don’t pay much attention to it. However, the basic situation is that while Mike Ashley (the owner of Newcastle United) wants top players, he wants them for 50% off like the cheap tat in his Sports Direct shops and that includes their wages too. This is how the whole Demba Ba situation has come about, and why Ba and his advisors cling on to his release clause. His knee problem is the complicating factor for a move however, and if it wasn’t for that he’d probably be long gone by now. Then again, if it wasn’t for his knee problem he almost certainly wouldn’t be at Newcastle United in the first place.
Ba knows that his career may be limited by a few years and he wants to make the most of it financially but there isn’t much chance of that at Newcastle, but although a lot of other clubs will undoubtedly show keen interest in such a good striker, they will cool off when they look at the medical reports and try to insure him etc. This is probably why the situation has dragged on for so long and if he does move for a much higher weekly wage, he would almost certainly have to take some kind of “quid pro quo” which will involve little compensation if he was injured and out of the game for good.
Kev: His agent is after £2m on any transfer, and he is the one pulling the strings.
Great player, superb skills as an individual – but not a team player – and not the brightest button in the box.
2) Who has been Newcastle’s best player so far this season? What is he capable of?
Paul:Hatem Ben Arfa who scored an excellent goal against your lot last time. He’s capable of unlocking teams on his own with his amazing dribbling, the vision of his passing, his excellent long shots and so on. However, he won’t be playing so I’ll also pick Demba Ba for this game. This is because he has been feeding on crumbs this season because of the lack of creativity in the side (from the manager not the players). Despite this he is still one of the highest scorers in the Premier League which is a bit of a miracle, and a tribute to his superb finishing.
Kev:Probably Ba in my opinion. Loads have under-achieved being played out of position because of Pardew’s weird system.
3) What formations and tactics are you most likely to employ in this match?
Paul:That’s a good question with Newcastle at the moment. Alan Pardew had had us playing some awful “route one” football for most of the season so far, the kind of football he’s used to. The tactics were mostly a 4-4-2 where we had no midfield and were soaking up pressure in our own half looking to dispossess the opposition, only to launch huge “hit and hope” balls over a midfield void to the strikers which usually fell back to the opposition anyway. However, there seems to have been some kind of player revolt recently and although there have still been defeats in the last few games, two of these have been against the Manchester giants and performances and style of play have improved markedly for the most part. So now you can probably expect to see a 4-3-3 formation with a far more subtle and patient approach through the midfield. In the unlikely event that we go a couple of goals up though, expect Pardew to revert to type.
Kev:Depends who is available. Tactics change weekly with Pardew.
4) What position/player is your weakness link?
Paul:If I must, then James Perch might be filling in for an injured Willamson at Centre Back. Now don’t get me wrong, the lad’s done very well from humble beginnings, especially in the defensive midfield. However he might be a little vulnerable in the air in the centre of defence, though this might benefit teams like Stoke more than Arsenal.
Kev:Everywhere. Injuries have halted any hope of a regular team/formation.
5) What has happened to Newcastle this season?
Paul:See the rant at question 3! Though there have also been issues like Mike Ashley not investing in the squad for European football, along with injuries and such, I still think that the main factor has been Alan Pardew’s Reading circa 1990 tactics. He is one of those managers like many before him who has a good season then gets found out, like he did at West Ham.
Kev: We have been clueless in so many matches. Players playing out of position, and kids not good enough.
Ba and Cisse don’t work as a team; defence is like the days of Titus Bramble.
6) Which Arsenal player would you love in your team and why?
Paul:Santi Cazorla for similar reasons to Ben Arfa. Both are great visionary playmakers and although I’ll just give the dribbling to Benny (his control is amazing), on the other hand one thing about Cazorla is that even though he’s only about 5′ 6″ he’ll muck in and defend more than Benny when the team are up against it. Both are fantastic, world class players.
Kev: Aboutnine or ten of them – different class to us.
7) What is your match prediction?
Paul:I would say that Arsenal are favourites and will probably win, but as I’ve been so negative in parts above, I’ll be optimistic and say that if we perform as well as we have in patches of recent games then we just might get a draw, so I’ll go for a Desmond 2-2 (though my head says 2-1 or 3-1 to Arsenal).
Kev: 2-0 Arsenal.
Prediction:
Newcastle is a tough team to break down. Their defence is strong and Krul is a very good, up and coming keeper, with something to prove after our last encounter. Nevertheless, they are a shadow of their former selves, injuries have blighted their squad and the Ba/Cisse duo isn’t firing. We will have to fight tooth and nail in this one, but I expect a resurgent and rested Arsenal to run over the top off a flat and soggy Newcastle.
Arsenal’s consistent inability to follow up a fantastic victory continues to be a concern, but at least we were able to come out of today’s clash with a much-needed three points.
We always knew that today’s clash with Wigan Athletic would be a difficult contest, and this was the type of persevering victory that Arsenal needed to establish some semblance of consistency. The wet, heavy pitch could have been a determining factor in our poor play since we rely heavily on passing and ball control.
Wigan started off the game with high pressure defensively, taking away Arsenal’s coveted time and space. In possession, Wigan were very settled and knocked the ball around well. They pushed forward successfully down the flanks to no avail, as both Beausejour and Stam wasted many crosses in the final third. Wigan lived up to McManaman’s criticism of giving away the ball on numerous occasions, and this eventually allowed Arsenal to ease into the game.
However, it was very tough to break down Wigan in the first half as they successfully congested the middle of the pitch.
Throughout most of the contest, Arsenal found it very difficult to replicate the form of our last game, and the players seemed very tense and overly cautious in attack. As the game continued, Wigan afforded Arsenal more space and the Ox eventually gave us the spark needed to break out offensively. This eventually led to a few quality scoring chances but teammates were not able to get on the end of his crosses, and Theo missed a fantastic chance to convert one of his low crosses.
Fortunately, Arsenal were able to break through in the second half with a nice pass from Santi to Walcott in the box that subsequently led to a penalty, which Arteta finished clinically from the spot.
Defensively there were mental lapses once again, but we were able to grind out the victory and we were not punished for our mistakes. Worth noting was that Vermaelen and Mertesacker were poor defensively for a good portion of the game which allowed Kone to get in behind them in the first half, but luckily he wasted the chance wide.
Now onto the player ratings from today’s game:
Szczesny (9.0) – I thought he was our best player today and has really provided the squad with stability. Szczes kept us in the game with big saves and made some intelligent, aggressive decisions to challenge the Wigan forwards. Well-deserved clean sheet and performances like these will be needed from him, if we’re to win games when we are not at our best.
Gibbs (8.0) – Not as influential offensively as last game, but the blame should be placed more on Podolski’s lack of support opposed to a knock on Gibbs. Defensively, Gibbs was solid and made some key tackles to break up the Wigan offense throughout the game. Still, I was hoping to see more from him and the blossoming left flank partnership from last game let me down.
Vermaelen (6.5) – I was appalled at his questionable missed challenge on Kone in the first half that led to a good Wigan scoring opportunity. This was only compounded by further poor concentration in coverage that later led to Kone getting behind himself and Mertesacker for a clear chance on goal. He eventually settled down and more importantly, the defense did not concede any goals. However, a much better effort is needed from our captain and those defensive lapses need to be addressed going forward.
Mertesacker (6.5) – I thought the weakness in our defense lay with the two center backs today: together with Vermaelen, Mertesacker’s lack of pace and concentration, almost led to Kone scoring for Wigan. He played his routine safe game by just clearing the ball, but gave Wigan some unnecessary second chance opportunities from corner kicks when not even under pressure. Just as I said with Vermaelen; we didn’t concede any goals against Wigan so perhaps I’m being harsh, but some players need to answer for poor performances and Mertesacker is one of them. He did however break up a crucial play on a 2 v 1 by clearing Stam’s cross pass to Kone in the second half.
Sagna (8.0) – Both fullbacks played solid games defensively and kept Wigan’s offence in check. Much like last game, I want to see Sagna more involved offensively, but I’m glad he honored his defensive duties first. Nothing spectacular here, but I’m happy if he can consistently perform like he did today.
Arteta (8.5) – Continues to be our most consistent performer this season and always shows composure and intelligent ball distribution (aside from the Fulham game which was a disaster for him and he wasn’t great vs. the Spuds either). Won the ball back cleanly on a few occasions and has done everything one could ask for from a holding midfielder. Had a nice involvement offensively on a run forward in the first half and played a nice final ball, that almost led to an Oxlade-Chamberlain goal. Arteta scored the lone goal on a well taken, confident penalty kick.
Wilshere (7.0) – This was not one of Jack’s best performances and the team’s overall performance seemed to be directly correlated with his. He misplaced more passes than usual today, but did not commit any serious mistakes and was unfairly penalized with a yellow card on a perfectly clean tackle. Still, he was not as influential as usual, and I’d like to see him running up field with the ball more frequently. Wilshere did play well defensively, breaking up the play with sliding challenges a few times.
Cazorla (7.0) – He definitely came out flat today and Wigan was smart to take away his space and close down on him early after his performance against Reading. Santi uncharacteristically turned the ball over several times on some poor first touches, over dribbling and careless passing. His slick pass to Walcott that eventually led to Arsenal’s only goal, was the only outstanding bit of work from him. He wasn’t horrible but you definitely come to expect more from our main offensive distributor.
Podolski (5.5) – He pulled his typical Houdini act today and was pretty much absent for most of the game. Of all the players who started against Wigan, I was the most disappointed with Podolski after his inspiring run out against Reading. He created nothing offensively, was not involved defensively, did not link up with Gibbs and seemed to hardly move on the pitch. I thought he should have been the first player substituted off, and his poor performance allowed Wigan to congest the middle of the pitch.
Walcott (6.5) – He looked lost as the central striker today and Martinez and Wigan must have carefully analyzed the Reading game film from Monday. Theo wasn’t able to stretch the defense at all and wasted a good opportunity created by Ox, by shooting it right at Al Habsi in the second half. He did show some intelligent movement by getting himself into good positions to score, eventually drawing a crucial penalty, but like Podolski, he was pretty non-existent most of the time. It will be interesting to see if he can rebound vs. Newcastle next weekend.
Oxlade-Chamberlain (9.0) – Except for Szczesny, he was the most outstanding player on the pitch today. Ox displayed great pace, confidence in taking on defenders and provided some nice offensive scoring chances with in-swinging crosses into the opponent’s 18-yard box. He finally seems to be finding his form from last season and I absolutely loved this lad’s lively performance on the right flank. However, Ox was guilty of over-dribbling and taking too much on his own, which led to a few unnecessary turnovers in the final third. The best is yet to come from him and I think he’ll make the right wing position his own this season.
Ramsey, Coquelin, Koscielny (Incomplete) – None really had an opportunity to make an impact on the game, though Koscielny had a good clearance with his head late in the game, and Coquelin made a couple of nice sliding challenges to win the ball back. However, Coquelin looked unsure when in possession of the ball and this almost led to a few turnovers in our own half. Ramsey looked poor once again in his cameo appearance and why Wenger insists on playing him baffles me. He constantly gives away the ball, is poor defensively, lacks pace and looks out of his element on the right wing. Perhaps his poor performances are associated with inconsistent playing time, but it appears a loan move to another club may be the best for his development.
It is worrisome that we needed a penalty kick to find the score sheet and this poor performance is something to keep in mind for the coming games. AW’s decision to substitute Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 75th minute was shocking and as a result, we quickly lost any momentum we had gained from Arteta’s goal.
I expect the week off to be beneficial for our squad to get some much-needed rest and to re-group before facing Newcastle on the 29th. All in all, not one of our best performances but top teams still need to pick up three points from these kinds of games, and we did. Pulling out this type of victory is exactly what Arsenal needed and gives our players the confidence to know that we can still win games when not at our best.
Arsenal’s performance against the Royals was just what the doctor ordered, and there were signs that Arsene and Bould are starting to find the balance between solidity at the back and a deadly thrust up-front.
Of course, it is early days, and just as I am the first to point out that a bad result does not mean Arsenal are rubbish, it also needs stressing that a good performance and result against Reading does not mean Arsene and Bould have turned the corner. It also needs stressing that Arsenal needlessly conceded two goals, and that we in fact drew with the Royals in the second half.
However, looking at the game for a second time, there seemed to be a pattern to our play throughout the game which might indicate that Bould and Wenger are starting to find the formula for sustained success for the rest of the season.
One wing at a time
Without Theo playing on the right wing, where he formed such a formidable partnership with Sagna during last season especially, Arsenal channelled their wing-attacks through the left for most of the game. Sagna stayed a lot more behind than usually and Ox had to work more in isolation compared to Pod. The German has less tricks to his disposal and relies a lot on support from Cazorla and especially from his brother in arms; the fantastically versatile Gibbs.
Ox is less dependable on support in order to work some magic on the right wing, especially if and when he is giving the most sought after commodity of all for an attacker player: space in front of him. There were signs on Monday that AOC is slowly rediscovering his form and – closely related – his confidence.
Reading allowed us a lot of space on the left wing and boy did we benefit from it. When Gibbs went forward to support our attack the rest of our defence stayed mostly in position, which gave the defence a well-needed stability. Something Bould will have been pleased with.
Vermaelen and Mertesacker more conventional
In general, I thought both the BFG and TV played more conventionally on Monday. They concentrated hard on keeping discipline and there was a strong focus on pushing up and getting Reading to walk constantly in their off-site traps. This worked out very well for most of the game, but as the two goals we conceded showed; further fine-tuning is a must.
It was also clear that TV ventured forward less than usual and this might be another compromise between Bould and Wenger.
Arteta even more our orthodox holding midfielder and Wilshere handed the biggest role of all
I thought Arteta did really well again on Monday. When he is allowed to keep it simple and sit in front of the defence he can be very effective for us. He has got a great positional sense and uses his intelligence really well in sussing out danger. He plays in such a way that you almost do not spot him for large parts of the game, as he allows the team – and us as spectators – to concentrate on the attacking opportunities ahead. We rely heavily on him which of course is a concern, but that is a discussion for another day.
The biggest role on the night was given to Jack. I cannot tell you how much I love this guy right now. What a difference he makes with his drive, intelligence and ability. Yet, he looked so fragile at times on Monday, and we have to wonder whether his body will be able to take the continuous physical challenges he has to face in this pivotal role.
Jack was everywhere and covered the area between attack and defence tremendously well on Monday. Supported by Arteta, he ensured we could keep continuous pressure on the Reading defence, and he was instrumental in winning back possession in midfield as well.
Cazorla played a lot closer to our CF
It was great to see Santi play so close to our CF, Theo, against Reading. I thought Santi played in the DB10 role on Monday and he did remind me of him at times. I did not know he would be so effective in the opposition’s box, but his runs into it, and his general awareness and prowess to finish off opportunities, were a very welcome surprise (at least to me). On top of that, he was just as effective in what he is more known for: finding clever through balls and dictating our attacking play in general. It truly was a top performance by the little Spaniard on Monday.
Jack playing in the lynchpin role and working his socks off together with Arteta, allowed Santi this free role and boy did he reward us for it!
One question that needs answering in the next few weeks is whether Santi can play as close to Giroud as he did to Theo. Theo is a more mobile and faster striker and can exploit space so well: he makes intelligent runs which are very hard to track by the opposition’s defenders, and for Santi, Theo is a dream to play with – just as Henry was for Bergkamp – as he both loves to feed the ball to him in space and likes to benefit himself from the space Theo creates for others.
Of course, we would also need to see how the combination of Walcott and Cazorla in the centre of our attack would work against the disciplined ‘park the bus’ teams, but a more permanent switch towards Cazorla in the hole and three more fluid attackers up-front could well be the way forward.
Plenty of food for thought, I hope! So. let’s discuss. 🙂
Bergkampesque 