Monday 18 March 2013

Crucial away win in Swansea

Swansea 0-2 Arsenal


Arsenal followed their impressive performance away to Bayern Munich with an equally resolute display at Swansea on Saturday. The Gunners defence once again received the plaudits at the final whistle, having restricted their hosts to absolutely no shots on target.

During the first half, although Swansea enjoyed greater possession as they played the ball to one another in neat triangles; there was a feeling of calmness amongst the Arsenal players, whereas previously calamity always appeared to be on the horizon. The defence was once again resolute, with plenty of communication, particularly from Lukas Fabianski and Laurent Koscielny and consequently worked as one complete unit. As a result, the home side were only really able to create half chances during the opening period of the game with their attacking threat fizzling out as the match wore on. It was somewhat telling that while Swansea made the Gunners chase the ball for large periods of the first half, it was Arsenal who created the better chances and could count themselves rather unfortunate to not be leading at half time.

On two occasions Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had seen his powerful efforts strike the crossbar, when his tenacity had deserved more. First, with only five minutes played, the young Englishman collected a pass from Diaby on the edge of the box and surged past Angel Rangel, before cutting inside and unleashing an excellent shot towards the top corner of the goal, which had Michel Vorm completely beaten, but unfortunately cannoned back off the crossbar. Santi Cazorla then had his head in his hands shortly afterwards as he saw his long range effort just saved by Vorm, before Oxlade-Chamerlain was set up once again by Diaby to let fly on goal from outside the box, this time however, his shot bounced off the top of the crossbar.  

Having resisted the Swansea passing metronome in the first period, Arsenal slowly began to take control of the game and assert their authority during the second half. However, as against Bayern Munich, they were struggling to create clear cut goal scoring opportunities, with Theo Walcott largely anonymous on the wing and Olivier Giroud failing to dominate the Swansea defence in the aerial battles. More often than not, the Frenchman would not win his header and the Arsenal attack would fizzle out before it had even started. Yet on the rare occasions when Giroud was able to head the ball back, the Arsenal midfield were too slow to get up the pitch and support him and so Swansea would invariably just regain possession once again.

Abou Diaby in particular was not able to impose himself in the middle of the park and appeared far too sluggish in getting himself high up the pitch to support the attack, especially as the game wore on. It was no surprise therefore to see the Frenchman replaced, with twenty minutes remaining, by Aaron Ramsey. Although the Welshman does have plenty of detractors amongst the Arsenal faithful as a result of his poor ditribution, he does often provide a higher intensity to the game when brought on from the bench; with his willingness to chase the ball down, enabling the Gunners to collectively press higher up the pitch.  

With the clock ticking down and Arsenal desperately needing all three points, the away side began to exert more and more pressure in the final third and got the required breakthrough in the 74th minute thanks to excellent work by Cazorla on the left flank. The Spaniard expertly made his way towards the by-line before cutting the ball back into the middle of the box. With two Arsenal players stood behind him, ready to convert Cazorla’s cutback, Giroud should have dummied the ball, but instead decided to attempt to take the chance himself. Unfortunately the Frenchman’s heavy first touch meant the opportunity to shoot on goal had gone and he could only poke the ball to Nacho Monreal, who had surged forward to support the attack. The Spaniard did not hesitate at all in taking on the shot and his effort bounced off the turf, across goal and beyond the reach of Vorm to give the Gunners the lead.   

It was the crucial break through that Arsenal had needed and it was now essential that they held onto their lead. Wenger’s side did just that, easily withstanding any Swansea pressure, and with injury time fast approaching caught their hosts out on the break. Aaron Ramsey was released on the right flank and with only one Swansea defender between him and Gervinho, the Welshman was able to lay the ball square into the path of his fellow substitute for the Ivorian to finish the game, slotting the ball past the onrushing Vorm. It was Gervinho’s first league goal since September and will hopefully provide him with some much needed confidence for the Premier League run-in.

At the final whistle on Saturday, Wenger could take huge satisfaction from a job well done by his side. They had managed to withstand the early Swansea pressure, having enjoyed little possession at the start of the game, but still restricted the home side to half chances at best. This was a huge result for the Gunners, against a team who have notoriously caused them problems in the past and in fact had dominated proceedings from start to finish in the league game at the Emirates Stadium, earlier in the season.  

With Tottenham losing for the second league game in a row on Sunday, the seven point advantage they had enjoyed over Arsenal following the North London derby has suddenly shrunk to four points. The Gunners also have a game in hand, but must concentrate on applying as much pressure on Tottenham as possible, by continuing to win their games. Should Arsenal embark on a winning run at this stage of the season, Spurs will become edgy, their supporters will quickly get on the players’ backs and the Gunners need to make sure they are in a position to take full advantage. Wenger’s side must now continue to build on their recent impressive defensive displays as well as improving their attacking game. The race for fourth place could once again go right down to the wire and Arsenal cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

Thursday 14 March 2013

So near yet so far!

Bayern Munich 0-2 Arsenal


Arsenal bowed out of the Champions League last night with the same feelings of regret and pride that had followed their exit from the competition in the previous year. Against AC Milan last season, the Gunners had effectively thrown the tie away thanks to a horrendous first leg performance, only to restore their pride with a much improved display in the return leg, as they just missed out on completing an unlikely turnaround. One year on and Arsene Wenger’s side were once again faced with the daunting task of overcoming a great deficit against one of European football’s superpowers.

With Arsenal needing to secure victory by three clear goals to win the tie, no one gave the Gunners any chance of progressing to the quarter final stage of this year’s competition. Bayern captain Philip Lahm had also dismissed the potential for an upset during the pre-match press conference, yet the German right back must have been worried with three minutes remaining, as Laurent Koscielny’s header gave the visitors a two goal lead on the night.

Many had expected Arsene Wenger to field a weakened side last night, with one eye firmly on Saturday’s Premier League encounter against Swansea. The feeling was that the manager had simply given up and conceded defeat, highlighting the growing belief that he no longer has that burning desire to win trophies. However the manager only made two unforced changes to his starting line-up and given the recent performances of Szczesny and Vermaelen, not many Arsenal supporters could argue with Wenger’s decisions. By the final whistle, the performances of Fabianski and Koscielny, who came into the starting eleven, further justified Wenger’s judgements, with the manager’s apparent ruthlessness, something which has been missing of late, indicating possible changes in the near future.

Arsenal’s main problem coming into this game was how they would address their notoriously porous defence, which had been so brutally exposed in the league defeat away at Tottenham. The common consensus was that while it may have been conceivable for the Gunners to score three goals against Bayern, it was impossible for the away side to leave the Allianz Arena without conceding against a side which had simply swept Arsenal aside in the first leg. However Wenger’s team showed the resilience, awareness and defensive organisation which has been sorely missed for so many years.  They defended as a team, pressed the ball as one and when Bayern strode forward, they had the confidence to step back and regroup, leaving virtually no space in behind them and forcing their hosts into taking long distance pot shots.

At the heart of their impressive defensive organisation was Laurent Koscielny. The Frenchman was simply outstanding, constantly talking to those around him, making sure the back four where all in line and stepping up as one unit when needed. Koscielny has long been touted as the ideal defensive partner for Per Mertesacker as the Frenchman possesses the pace needed to cover for the German’s lack of speed, yet having handed the captain’s armband to Thomas Vermaelen at the start of the season; Wenger has continued to persevere with the Belgian despite his poor form throughout the campaign. Such was the calming influence of having Koscielny at the heart of the Gunners defence that Mertesacker also enjoyed one of his better games in an Arsenal shirt. In fact the back five’s excellent display yesterday, with the returning Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson equally impressive, may finally force the manager into sticking with Koscielny and Mertesacker as his first choice centre back partnership as well as electing to keep Fabianski in goal against Swansea.

For a side that had dominated proceedings at the Emirates stadium with such consummate ease at times, Bayern never really managed to exert much pressure on the Arsenal goal last night. While that may have been partly due to the feeling that the Germans were caught between going forward in search of a killer goal or sitting back to protect their lead, Arsenal must take a lot of credit for their collective defensive display against a side that has run away with the German league this season, as the Gunners constantly tracked Bayern’s runners and restricted the threat of their overlapping runs, which had been a feature of the first leg.

Unfortunately for Wenger’s side, while their defensive performance was vastly improved, the visitors were somewhat let down by their attacking display. Having scored a crucial early goal thanks to Walcott’s excellent low ball into the box and Giroud’s simple finish, Arsenal struggled to build any momentum in Bayern’s final third. The Gunners were far too sloppy when going forward, with misplaced passes cheaply gifting the home side possession, on a night when the crowd in the Allianz Arena were extremely nervous. Had Arsenal been able to hold onto the ball and string a few passes together, the home supporters would have become frustrated, adding to the tension inside the stadium. Thomas Rosicky, playing just behind Giroud was the main culprit in misplacing his passes time and time again, as the Gunners struggled to get Walcott into the game and it was somewhat surprising that Wenger didn’t switch the Czech international with Santi Cazorla, who was deployed on the left wing and was far more influential when in possession.

Arsenal effectively scored two goals with their only two shots on target. Koscielny’s headed effort ultimately arrived too late for the Gunners and Bayern were able to run down the clock. Had the visitors scored when Gervinho’s neat turn in the box created just enough space for the Ivorian to shoot inches wide of goal, with eleven minutes left, maybe Wenger’s men would have gone on to secure one of the greatest comebacks in the history of European football. Unfortunately, just as last year, it was a case of so near but yet so far.

Arsenal must now focus their full attention on the league and the race for fourth place. Their performance yesterday indicated that they do have what it takes to mix it with the best teams in Europe and they must now build on this display to secure their place in next season’s Champions League campaign.

Monday 4 March 2013

Porous defence costs Gunners again

Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal


Despite the feeling of great disappointment at the final whistle yesterday, having seen their side lose 2-1 to bitter rivals Tottenham and subsequently falling seven points behind Andre Villas-Boas’ team and five points behind Chelsea in that much coveted fourth spot, Arsenal supporters could take some solace in the fact their side had actually produced a good performance.

In fact the Gunners were the better side and had more of the game, enjoying greater possession and pushing onto Tottenham, who played more like an away side, as they simply sat back, hoping to catch Arsenal on the break.  However the Gunners were simply undermined once again by the poor defensive mistakes which have blighted the club’s progress for years. With the first half coming to a close and the expected Tottenham onslaught yet to materialise, Arsenal self-imploded, conceding two goals in the space of two minutes to effectively gift their hosts all three points before the break. First, Sigurdsson was allowed to surge forward without any Gunners player confronting him and as the Icelander played the ball forward, most of the Arsenal back four stepped up, Mertesacker however, was just a fraction too slow and kept Bale onside, as the Welshman exploited the vast space between Vermaelen and Monreal to run through on goal and flick the ball past Szczesny.

Bale’s goal was a real sucker punch for the away side. Tottenham had not caused Arsenal any problems whatsoever until this point and it had been the Gunners who appeared more likely to score with Giroud earlier spurning a golden opportunity, taking far too long to unleash a shot when through on goal, allowing Vertonghen time to chase back and tackle the Frenchman. Although Bale’s goal was unmerited and hard to accept, Arsenal should have collectively gritted their teeth, seen out the first half and regrouped at halftime. However, as has been witnessed time and time again during this season’s big games, the Gunners just do not have the mental strength or the leaders on the pitch to do this. Against Manchester City, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, concession of the first goal was quickly followed by a second and yesterday was no different. Within two minutes of Bale giving the home side the lead, Arsenal were two down to a goal which was a carbon copy of the first. Aaron Lennon this time was allowed to run through on goal, unchecked by Monreal and with Vermaelen completely unaware of Lennon’s run behind him, the Englishman had a ridiculous amount of time and space to round Szczesny and fire into the empty net. Having only had two shots on goal and caused the Gunners very few problems, Tottenham were somehow in total control of the game.

Before the match, the English media couldn’t help themselves from eulogising over the talents of Gareth Bale, proclaiming the Tottenham man as a world class talent whose equals in the world game are only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet the Welshman struggled to get himself into the match yesterday. Yes he scored the first goal but he never once tore Arsenal apart, as had been prophesised by the media before kick-off and was largely anonymous. The problem for the away side was that while Bale toiled, their own star man, Jack Wilshere, was also far from his best. The young Englishman, upon whom the Gunners rely to provide their attacking thrust from central midfield, just could not get himself going, with the game largely passing him by as he failed to exert his usual influence on proceedings.

Unfortunately Arsene Wenger’s team largely struggled to make their superior possession count and frustratingly, certain players such as Theo Walcott seemed far too eager to make runs in behind the Tottenham backline, when the pass just wasn’t on. On numerous occasions during the first period, Carl Jenkinson would have the ball in the Tottenham half but Walcott, rather than offering the right back the option of a pass along the line, would instead run into the middle to try and get on the end of a chipped pass over the top. As a result, Jenkinson had no real option when on the ball, other than to pass back or square and the Arsenal attack would fizzle out. With Cazorla deployed on the left flank and instinctively cutting inside too, Arsenal did not have any real width to their attacking play and the central midfield area became extremely congested.

Had Walcott remained on the wing, he could have worked in tandem with Jenkinson to attack the Tottenham left back, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and get crosses into the box, or reach the by-line and cut the ball back. Yet only on one occasion did the Gunners attempt this tactic throughout the game, early in the second half, and it almost resulted in a goal with Jenkinson’s cross just cut out by Hugo Lloris at the near post, with Arsenal players rushing into the box, ready to pounce. It was extremely surprising to see Jenkinson replaced by Rosicky in the 58th minute as Wenger decided to switch Ramsey to the right back position and there was a distinct feeling of Arsenal having missed a golden opportunity to cause Tottenham serious damage on this flank.

Having pulled a goal back as early as the 51st minute, through Per Mertesacker’s deflected header, from Walcott’s free kick delivery, it seemed as though the Gunners were more than capable of securing another famous comeback against their North London rivals. Unfortunately, the ball just would not fall for Arsenal in the second half. Theo Walcott would have been clean through on goal had his first touch not been so heavy, the ball going straight to Lloris. Lukas Podolski’s control similarly let him down later in the game, when on the edge of the box, looking to surge through, Aaron Ramsey was played through but took too long to shoot on goal and his effort was blocked by Assou-Ekotto and Walcott’s powerful effort on goal from a free kick flew just the wrong side of the post.

As the match entered its final stages and Arsenal pressed forward, Dawson and Vertonghen stood firm and ultimately it just wasn’t meant to be. At the final whistle the Gunners only had themselves to blame for allowing the home side to secure three points they didn’t deserve. Until Wenger properly organises his team’s defensive shape, Arsenal’s hard work will continue to be undermined by sloppy defending. Yet despite the huge disappointment at having lost this game, the fight for fourth place continues. The Gunners cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves and must quickly pick themselves up. Tottenham may be seven points clear as things stand, but they also have some very though fixtures before the end of the season and Arsenal must continue to apply as much pressure as possible by winning games and capitalising on any slip ups.