Stalemate in Turkey

Besiktas 0-0 Arsenal

Arsenal flew back to North London last night, having secured a 0-0 draw away to Besiktas, not really knowing what they should feel about the end result.

It was a game they could have won had they been sharper in the final third to exploit little gaps that appeared and in the last few minutes the Gunners saw Oxlade-Chamberlain’s excellent effort unfortunately come back off the post. Yet it was also a match Wenger’s men could easily have lost as Besiktas created a number of gilt edged opportunities to take the lead.

Straight from the kick off in fact, Demba Ba took what looked to be a speculative shot, which almost caught Szczesny napping, as the Pole scrambled back just in time to tip the ball onto his crossbar. Ba was at it again minutes later, linking up well with former Gunner Oğuzhan Özyakup, to force Szczesny into another save from the Senegalese’s volley, before the former Chelsea striker should have capitalised on a rare mistake from the otherwise excellent Callum Chambers, but saw his effort roll just wide with Szczesny beaten.

As in the game against Crystal Palace, Arsenal were far from their best and struggled to create any real goal scoring opportunities. Even Oxlade-Chamberlain’s chance came as a result of a poor pass from the home side and then brilliant individual skill from the Englishman to create an opening. The most disappointing facet of Arsenal’s attacking performance was the lack of link up play between the attacking players.

The Gunners have long been renowned for their exquisite passing and movement but last night it appeared as though they had never played with each other before as there was a clear lack of understanding amongst those in red and white shirts. Olivier Giroud did absolutely nothing to help the situation with the Frenchman putting in an embarrassing performance bereft of any hunger or desire. Giroud just did not hold the ball up at all, he was weak in the aerial challenges, his first touch was abysmal and his passing atrocious. Giroud’s role in the side is to act as a pivot point, the ball is played into him, he holds it up and others make runs around and beyond him to receive a pass. In the main, Arsenal’s attacking game is dependent on Giroud and if he performs as he did yesterday, the Gunners struggle to pose any attacking threat.

Another problem was the fact every Arsenal player seemed to want an age on the ball, taking an extra touch when it wasn’t necessary and therefore enabling the Besiktas players to close down any space that had opened up and steal back possession. The Gunners usual fluidity was nowhere to be seen as they appeared somewhat disjointed and clumsy going forward, with runs being made into already crowded areas in which they couldn’t really receive the ball.

Wenger’s decision to deploy Cazorla on the left flank once again backfired as the Spaniard was a real nonentity in the game. Although the idea behind this tactic is for Arsenal to outnumber the opposition in the centre of the park as Cazorla drifts inside, essentially becoming another central midfielder alongside Arteta and Ramsey, with Wilshere slightly ahead of them, it tends to take away more from the Gunners attack than it offers. As Cazorla moves into the middle, space is left on the wing for the left back to surge forward and support the attack with runs from deep being more difficult for the opposition to pick up and defend against. However, it would surely be more beneficial for the attack to have a natural attacking player such as Oxlade-Chamberlain, with his pace and skill driving at the opposition’s full back. A player of this ilk would also offer another “out ball” option when the Gunners are pinned back in defence. On several occasions in the first half yesterday the Gunners appeared set to catch Besiktas on the counter attack as Alexis broke clear, surging down the right flank, only for the Chilean to look up and see just one Arsenal man in the box. A natural wide man on the opposite wing would be able to keep up with the attack and offer another option, at the back post, as the ball is crossed in. Unfortunately Wenger seems reluctant to deploy two wide men at the moment, despite the availability of both Joel Campbell and Oxlade-Chamberlain.   

The Gunners disjointed performances at the start of the season could be as a result of the World Cup and the fact players have only had two or three weeks to integrate with the new signings and get used to each other’s games. Unfortunately the games are coming thick and fast and Arsenal must buck up their ideas fast. Although the German contingent should be available for the return leg at the Emirates on Wednesday week, Ramsey will be suspended for this match following his red card last night for two needless bookings. As others take their time to get back up to speed, the Welshman is the player Arsenal look to for inspiration. His absence will therefore be sorely missed and could prove vital. Failure to score a crucial away goal could also come back to bite the Gunners as it has left this tie right in the balance. Wenger’s side will have to attack knowing that any slip up could see their participation in this season’s Champions League ended extremely early