Gunners back on form

Arsenal 3-1 West Ham

 

 

 

Having secured an FA Cup final spot on Saturday, Arsenal turned their attention back to the Premier League yesterday and the race for a top four finish.

Arsene Wenger had to reshuffle his starting eleven following 120 minutes of semi-final action which had taken its toll on several Gunners players. Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs both failed to overcome injuries and with Koscielny returning to first team action, Thomas Vermaelen was deployed at left back. Further forward, Kim Kallstrom made his first start in an Arsenal shirt alongside Thomas Rosicky, who had missed the semi-final through injury, while up front; Yaya Sanogo made way for Giroud. The result was that Wenger fielded the second oldest team of his tenure, with an average age of 29.

While this meant that the starting eleven had plenty of experience, it also resulted in the Gunners significantly lacking pace throughout the side, a trait which led to an extremely sluggish start last night. There was no urgency to Arsenal’s play as passes went astray time and time again, while West Ham at times appeared the more likely to score.

In the 19^th minute of the game, Vermaelen prevented the Hammers from taking the lead with an excellent clearance at the back post, as Andy Carroll lurked behind him, waiting to pounce on a Matt Jarvis cross. Minutes later and Carroll this time turned provider as he laid the ball into the path of Diame, only for the Senegalese international to blaze high over the bar when it seemed easier to score.

Arsenal were struggling to create any significant goal scoring opportunities, but did arguably have the best chance of the opening thirty minutes as Santi Cazorla’s through ball released Giroud. Yet when one on one with the goalkeeper, the Frenchman lacked conviction and needlessly flicked the ball towards goal with the outside of his foot. To the great frustration of the Emirates crowd, it was a very easy save for Adrian and the shot appeared to be sailing wide of goal anyway.

It was a missed opportunity which would come back to haunt the Gunners as with only five minutes of the first half left to play, West Ham took the lead. As Nocerino surged down the left flank, Szczesny came off his line in an attempt to narrow the angle, but in doing so left himself horribly exposed. The Italian’s shot was parried by the Arsenal goalkeeper but the ball looped up perfectly for Jarvis to nod home into an empty net.

The Gunners were now in a position they really didn’t want to be in, having to chase a game with weary legs. Had they gone in at half time 1-0 down, the result of this match may have been entirely different. Fortunately however, Arsenal managed to restore parity just before the half time whistle. Lukas Podolski received Cazorla’s pass in the area, with his back to goal, but the German international simultaneously turned and unleashed a shot into the bottom corner of the net to once again highlight the fact he is the best finisher at the Emirates.

Given this undisputed fact, it is somewhat frustrating that Wenger hasn’t tailored a formation or a set of tactics to ensure that Podolski is in a more central position when the Gunners are attacking, rather than shunted out wide in what is essentially a 4-3-3 formation. The German is a natural goal scorer who can do far more damage when in and around the area and therefore is largely wasted in this wide position.

Having equalised just before the break, Arsenal started the second half far brighter than they had the first and duly took the lead in the 55^th minute of the game. Ironically, against a side that under Sam Allardyce’s reign have become renowned for their long ball tactics, it was a long ball by the Gunners which undid the West Ham defence. Thomas Vermaelen’s long punt forward, was inch perfect for Giroud. The Frenchman, who is often far too easily outmuscled, showed great strength to hold off both Winston Reid and Andy Carroll in the box, before controlling the ball with a wonderful first touch, made all the more difficult by the fact the ball was arriving over his shoulder. Having killed the ball dead, Giroud wasted no time in firing a low shot through the legs of Adrian with one of his best goals for Arsenal and his 20^th of the season.

Once the home side had taken the lead, West Ham had little response. Mertesacker had the measure of Carroll, whose style of play is perfectly suited for the German defender and the Hammers therefore offered very little as an attacking force.

Victory was sealed with 12 minutes remaining as Giroud picked the ball up on the right flank and crossed to Ramsey, who nodded it into the path of Podolski. The German needs no invitation to shoot and he unleashed an unstoppable effort with that hammer of a left foot; the ball flying past Adrian and into the net.

This was an important win for the Gunners as it not only maintains the pressure on Everton in the race for a top four finish, but also goes a long way to restoring the moral within the squad and around the club in general. Arsenal have had to dig really deep to win their last two games and have gone some way to responding to those who have questioned their collective character and mental strength. Wenger’s side now have five games remaining of a season which for such a long time promised so much. Only victories in every single one of those games will do.