Cardiff 0-3 Arsenal
Arsenal produced an excellent
display against Cardiff on Saturday, to once again emerge victorious from a
tricky away game and pile the pressure on their title rivals.
Ever since the Gunners began
their fine run of form, which has seen them achieve 31 points from a possible
39, the pundits have been circling like vultures, waiting for Arsene Wenger’s
side to slip up and provide them with the ammunition to discard Arsenal’s title
credentials. Saturday’s trip to Cardiff was a stern test. The Bluebirds had
previously defeated Manchester City and achieved a draw against Manchester
United, so a trip to the Cardiff City stadium could not be seen as an easy
afternoon’s work. However, once the Gunners had secured an impressive 3-0
victory, the football pundits practically dismissed the performance and
highlighted once again that the Gunners are yet to face the top sides of
Chelsea and Manchester City.
What these pundits fail to realise
however, is the fact that this fine run of form did not begin at the start of
the current campaign. In fact it has its roots in the second period of last
season. In the year 2013, there is no side in the Premier League which has
gained more points than the Gunners. In the last 10 games of last season,
Wenger’s side knew they had to win every single match to have any chance of
making the top four, and under extreme pressure, Arsenal did exactly that. The
excellent start to the current campaign is simply a continuation of that run.
The Gunners have a new mentality
about them. In previous seasons, they would start games slowly, allowing the
opposition to gain a foothold in the game and as a result, garnered a
reputation for having a soft underbelly. This season however, Arsenal have
sought to start games on the front foot, gaining an advantage and pushing on
from there. This new approach was evident against Marseille, as Wilshere scored
within the first 30 seconds, and the young Englishman almost repeated the feat
once again against Cardiff, firing a wonderful curling effort which
unfortunately crashed back off the crossbar, with the goalkeeper well and truly
beaten. Arsenal may not have taken the lead, but had set their stall out.
The Gunners were excellent. Their
attacking midfield of Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil and Wilshere, constantly moving and
changing positions behind Giroud, causing the Cardiff defence numerous
problems. Wenger possesses an embarrassment of riches in this department and
when his attacking midfielders play this well, it is hard to imagine any side
being able to live with them. Ramsey in particular was exceptional once again.
Much has been made of the Welshman’s phenomenal goal scoring achievements this
season, and rightly so, but his contribution to the team from a defensive point
of view cannot be overlooked. His statistics for interceptions and tackles are
almost double those of any of his teammates and therefore incredible when
coupled to his goals. When he is fully fit, Ramsey has now transformed himself
into an immediate pick and Wenger cannot afford to repeat the mistake he made
at Old Trafford, by selecting him on the wing. Ramsey is now so integral and
important to this Arsenal team that he must play in the middle of the park.
In the 29th minute of
the match against Cardiff, Ramsey showed yet another new trait to his game,
with his first ever headed goal in an Arsenal shirt. It was a wonderful finish,
which owed as much to Ramsey’s new confidence in front of goal as to Giroud’s clever
movement. As Gibbs played the ball back to Ozil, Giroud, in the Cardiff penalty
area, made a run towards the near post, dragging the Cardiff central defender
with him. This resulted in a large space emerging in the centre of the box,
which Ramsey identified and moved into. Ozil duly delivered a pin point cross
into this area and Ramsey directed a perfectly timed header past David
Marshall. The Welshman refused to celebrate against his former club and the
home fans even applauded the Arsenal man as he made his way back to the centre
circle.
The Gunners could have gone
further ahead in the early stages of the second half, as Ramsey’s great skill
and strength saw him get to the by-line, before cutting the ball back to
Giroud, only for the Frenchman to see his effort cleared off the line. Yet
despite this good start, the home side started to grow into the game and
Arsenal, as would be expected of an away team, had to ride out the storm. In
the past, Wenger’s team would have inevitably wilted under the pressure placed
on them by Cardiff, conceded the equaliser and dropped vital points. The
difference now is that Arsenal appear to be extremely well organised from a
defensive point of view. The players can be seen constantly talking to each
other and there is a feeling of great solidarity amongst them. The likes of
Mertesacker have grown in stature and when called upon the Gunners can really
rely on their defensive unit now. For example, Cardiff have posed a major
threat from set pieces this season, but Arsenal stood firm whenever they were
faced with a corner or free kick delivery swung into their box. On the one
occasion the home side looked set to breach the Gunners defence, through
Fraizer Campbell’s downward header, Szczesny produced an excellent save, not only
getting down low, but showing strong hands to palm the ball away from goal.
Confidence is clearly spreading throughout this side.
Arsenal were in control and the
superior side throughout. In the 86th minute the Gunners secured the
three points they fully deserved for their performance. Flamini had been
brought on to help his side see the game out, but actually found himself the
furthest Arsenal man forward as Ozil slipped through a perfectly weighted pass
which begged Flamini to hit it first time. The Frenchman didn’t disappoint,
firing an unstoppable shot past Marshall for his first goal since returning to
North London. Arsenal weren’t finished yet and in stoppage time, the Gunners
hit Cardiff on the counter attack. Theo Walcott raced down the right flank and
cut the ball back to Ramsey, in the box. The Welshman took one touch before rifling the ball into the net, to seal
a wonderful return to the Welsh capital for the Arsenal midfielder.
The Gunners now face Hull in
midweek before embarking on four extremely difficult games in successive
fixtures, which will go a long way to shaping their season. Yet Arsenal must
not take heed of those football pundits who refuse to believe in them and make
the mistake of looking past a Hull side who, at the weekend, defeated Liverpool
for the first time in their history. The Gunners must simply focus and take one
game at a time. They have performed exceptionally well so far this campaign and
know full well that they are more than a match for any team in this league.
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