Set piece masters!

Arsenal 3-1 Stoke

The Gunners despatched Stoke City in rather unusual fashion yesterday, with all three Arsenal goals coming from set pieces.

On his home debut, Mesut Ozil certainly lived up to his billing as king of the assist, as he had a helping hand in all three goals. With such excellent set-piece delivery, Arsenal may well start to increase their threat from corners and free-kicks, which can only bode well for the future. It may not always be possible to break teams down with wonderfully slick passing football and the lack of alternative options has often been Arsenal’s Achilles heel. The introduction of Ozil, a player who has inch perfect delivery in his armoury, has therefore provided the Gunners with an added attacking dimension, which could prove crucial in the months ahead.

Watching Wenger’s side recover from that horrendous first day defeat has been a real joy to behold in recent weeks. The Gunners could have easily felt sorry for themselves and wilted under the enormous pressure and criticism they faced from the media and even from their own fans. But this team seems to be made of sterner stuff this season and appears to possess a real spirit and togetherness, which has seen them bounce back in remarkable fashion.

The signing of Mathieu Flamini, who is the embodiment of grit, determination and sheer refusal to lose, with his tireless running for the cause, has certainly had a huge influence on the squad. Flamini is a true leader on the pitch, constantly advising and encouraging those around him. You cannot fail to recognise the Frenchman’s passion and commitment; it is simply infectious. His presence has pushed those around him to higher levels of performance as Arsenal have won game after game.

And despite the injuries the Gunners now seem to have a squad full of real quality, on which Wenger can rely upon. With Theo Walcott having to pull out just before the game, the manager had to select Serge Gnabry for his first Premier League start and the young German did not let the side down at all. He was strong on the ball, not once allowing himself to be easily outmuscled by the opposition, as well as exuding confidence and composure in possession, proving he has the ability to succeed at this level.

But it was Ozil who stole the show, helping his new side take the lead as early as the fifth minute. The German’s strike on goal from a free-kick could only be parried out by Begovic, straight to the feet of Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman, who has been in scintillating form so far this season, was the last man Stoke would have wanted the ball to fall to and Ramsey didn’t disappoint, firing in his seventh goal of the season. This is another interesting development to the Arsenal squad. The Gunners cannot always rely on Giroud to score and therefore Ramsey’s goals from midfield could also prove vital in the months ahead.

Unfortunately, having taken an early lead, the home side did not push on in search of the second which would have killed the game off. Instead the Gunners allowed Stoke to regain their composure and slowly play themselves back into the match, until they restored parity in the 26^th minute.  Stephen Nzonzi clipped a ball over the top of the Arsenal defence to Marko Arnautovic, whose run Sagna had failed to track. The Austrian saw his volley come back off the post and straight into the path of Geoff Cameron to guide his shot into the far corner of the net.

In such instances last season, the home crowd may well have started to voice their frustrations, moaning and groaning at each and every misplaced pass. But in a sign of the changing attitude around the club, the Arsenal faithful stuck by their side and were duly rewarded only ten minutes later.

Mesut Ozil’s corner delivery to the near post for Per Mertesacker, had earlier resulted in a clearance off the line. However in the 36^th minute, the German defender would not be denied, looping his header to the far post, with Koscielny’s attempt to get something on the ball distracting Begovic, who could then do nothing to stop the ball from sailing over the line.

Having played so many games recently, with basically the same eleven players, Arsenal visibly tired in the second half. Yet although Stoke enjoyed more possession, they never really managed to get in behind the Gunners defence and therefore the home side were relatively comfortable. Of course with only a one goal advantage the usual nervous ending to any Arsenal game was due to transpire, until Bacary Sagna put the result beyond any doubt, looping an excellent header, from yet another Ozil free-kick delivery, over Begovic and into the net.

After a very tough game in midweek against Marseille, this was a job well done by Wenger’s side. It may not have been the prettiest performance, but just as in the South of France, the Gunners made sure they sealed all three points. There is a maturity around the squad now and with the likes of Arteta returning from injury; it seems this team will go from strength to strength in the coming weeks. The League Cup game against West Brom this week, will also provide Wenger with the opportunity to give several first team regulars a much needed rest as the club looks to build on this promising run of results. For the first time in a long while Arsenal are starting to look like a team that can really challenge this season. All the attributes and characteristics of a top quality side are there; let’s hope they can keep up the good work.