Festive fun!

Arsenal 2-1 QPR
West Ham 1-2 Arsenal
Southampton 2-0 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Hull

Arsenal’s results over the hectic festive period, which notoriously throws up strange results, actually read quite well. The Gunners faced two London derbies against QPR and West Ham, in the space of two days and then another tough away trip to Southampton before an FA Cup third round tie at home to Hull.

To come away from these fixtures with 6 points from a possible 9 and qualification to the next round of the FA Cup, could be seen as fairly successful negotiation of the most frantic period of the entire season. After all, no Premier League team managed to secure all 9 points during this time and Mourinho’s Chelsea, until recently touted as the next invincibles, were trounced on New Year’s Day by Tottenham.

Yet Arsenal’s results mask numerous problems with Arsene Wenger’s side. QPR came to the Emirates as a side bereft of any confidence away from home, having lost all their away games up to that point. It was only a matter of time before the home side took the lead and it was that man again Alexis Sanchez, with a fine header, following an excellent move from Arsenal. From this point on, the Gunners were essentially able to stroll to a 2-1 win against Harry Redknapp’s side with the only blip coming when Giroud needlessly and stupidly got himself sent off for a head-butt on Ndem Onuah. Shortly afterwards, Thomas Rosicky marked a rare start this season with an excellent finish to double the Gunners lead and the game was effectively over. Even against 10 men, for the majority of the second half, QPR failed to muster any chances of note, managing to reduce the deficit only when awarded a dubious penalty late on.

The next game would not be so easy, away to an in form West Ham side, who on paper are all wrong for Arsenal. Strong, physical and happy to get the ball out wide and cross it into the box for Andy Carroll, this game had all the hallmarks for a typical Arsenal defeat. Yet the Gunners managed to defy the critics and secured all three points with a hard fought 2-1 victory. Yet Arsenal were under the cosh for the majority of the first half, with former Gunner Alex Song having a well taken goal dubiously ruled out for offside. West Ham were really taking the game to Arsenal (Nacho Monreal in particular was being run ragged at left back) when they were hit with a sucker punch from the Gunners’ first meaningful attack, just before half time. Cazorla was brought down inside the area by Winston Reid and the Spaniard duly converted from the spot, something Alexis Sanchez had failed to do in the previous game against QPR.  Three minutes later and Arsenal were somehow two goals up. This time fine work from Oxlade-Chamberlain on the wing saw the Englishman get to the by-line before squaring the ball across goal to Danny Welbeck, who simply could not miss.

Having somewhat fortuitously found themselves two goals up, the second half was now perfectly set up for Arsenal to sit back, invite the Hammers onto them and hit them on the counter attack. The problem? Arsenal just cannot defend, especially from crosses into the box. A routine James Thompkins cross should have been easily dealt with but in typical Arsenal fashion, wasn’t and Kouyate was able to outmuscle Debuchy far too easily, to head home. As the game wore on, the Gunners did have several opportunities to restore their two goal lead but were thwarted by Adrian in the West Ham goal time and time again and as a result had to nervously hold on for the win as the home side launched high ball after high ball into the Arsenal penalty area.

Having secured two wins on the bounce it would have been expected the Gunners would enter the New Year’s Day game against Southampton in a confident frame of mind. However Southampton exposed Arsenal’s defence for the shambles it is. The home side were in control of this game from beginning to end and deservedly took the lead through a piece of brilliant skill from Sado Mane. The Senegalese was able to get in front of Laurent Koscielny with consummate ease; however he was still on the edge of the box when Szczesny inexplicably raced off his line to meet him. Mane twisted and turned before curling the ball into the back of the net from a supremely tight angle, the ball evading the outstretched leg of the far too slow to react, Mertesacker.  Having taken the lead, the Saints were able to keep the Gunners at arm’s length and doubled their lead thanks to another shockingly bad defensive lapse.

A cross into the Arsenal box caused mayhem amongst the Arsenal defence as Debuchy and Mertesacker failed to take charge of the situation and clear the ball to safety. After what seemed an eternity, Debuchy prodded the ball back to Szczesny, who panicked, kicked the ball straight to Tadic, who couldn’t believe his luck. The Arsenal goalkeeper’s response after another ridiculously bad error had cost his side was to sit in his goal and take a drink from his water bottle. News reports since have indicated the Polish international was later caught smoking in the dressing room showers, an act which could severely jeopardise his Arsenal future.

The Gunners responded to this defeat with a routine victory over Hull City in a repeat of last season’s FA Cup final. Hull came to the Emirates in much the same way that QPR had done, with damage limitation at the fore front of their minds. David Ospina had barely anything to do throughout the entire 90 minutes as goals from Mertesacker and an excellent finish from Sanchez secured safe passage to the fourth round of the competition, in a game which also marked a return to the starting line-up for Theo Walcott.

The results may not have been so bad, three wins from four games is actually pretty good, but the defensive frailties must surely haunt Wenger and keep him up at night. The lack of a defensive midfielder simply serves to expose the defence even further and it is a defence that is severely lacking in confidence at present. Mertesacker has been abysmal so far this season, Koscielny is struggling for both form and fitness, while Monreal at left back is a major weak link when Gibbs is out injured or rested and Debuchy has also been largely hit and miss. The goalkeeping situation is also not helping matters with Szczesny always likely to make crucial errors and Ospina may well now get an extended run in the side. Whether Wenger will be able to address the defensive area of his squad during the January transfer window is debatable so in all likelihood the Gunners will have to see out the rest of the season with the same set up. Can they realistically achieve a top four finish with this defence? The jury is out.