Gunners ride early storm

QPR 1-2 Arsenal

 

Arsenal came through a hard fought game on Wednesday night to maintain their excellent league form since the turn of the year as well as their third place in the league table.

Away to QPR was always going to be a tough game.

Rangers have secured virtually all their points at home this season, with the narrow pitch at Loftus Road allowing them to frustrate the opposition and defend deep, while the close proximity of the stands to the pitch always makes for a heated atmosphere. With Sandro back in the starting line-up after several months out injured and Bobby Zamora up front, the Gunners could not have been in any doubt before kick-off that they were in for a physical game.

From the very first whistle the QPR tactics were clear, their intent being to get right into the Arsenal players’ faces, giving them as little time and space as possible to exert their superior passing game. Sandro was the chief protagonist in ensuring these tactics were carried out and a horrible tackle on Coquelin, in the first half went unpunished by the referee, giving the Brazilian licence to carry on.

Up front Zamora was using his size and strength in an attempt to bully the Arsenal defence, singling out Gabriel, as an easy target, given the Brazilian defender’s relative inexperience of the English game. It was a tough battle between the two as QPR launched high ball after high ball in an attempt to exert pressure on Gabriel and it would have been interesting to see how the Brazilian would have adapted as the game wore on, but unfortunately he had  to be taken off mid-way through the first half with a hamstring injury.

During the first half QPR’s tactics were certainly paying off, with their high pressing game causing Arsenal problems and restricting them from getting their passing game going. While the Gunners struggled to create chances, the home side forced Ospina into a number of good saves, while a number of long range shots also flew narrowly wide of goal, most notably from Charlie Austin, who seemed to have a shoot on site policy.

Under such physical pressure the Gunners have so often wilted in the past and allowed the opposition to seize and maintain control of the game. On Wednesday however, Arsenal rode the physical onslaught and as the first half wore on, began to get themselves into the game slowly but surely. After the half time break, they duly took control of proceedings and began to exert pressure of their own.

Suddenly, the Arsenal midfield began to come into their own with the likes of Cazorla and Rosicky dominating the battle in the centre of the field. With Sandro departing the scene just past the hour mark, those midfielders now had more time and space to exert their technical superiority and to begin creating goal scoring opportunities.

Suddenly the chances were coming thick and fast. First Rosicky raced towards the by-line before cutting the ball back towards Ozil. Unfortunately, the German international just couldn’t get enough on the ball to steer the ball home. Shortly afterwards, Sanchez was denied at the near post by a fine save from Robert Green.

The pressure Arsenal were exerting was beginning to tell and the Gunners duly took the lead in the 64^th minute thanks to a classic counter attacking goal. Nico Kranjcar was dispossessed just outside the Arsenal box and the away side pounced. Cazorla, who had made the initial tackle, played the ball to Ozil who fed Sanchez on the wing. The Chilean surged forward before passing to Gibbs, whose shot was saved by Green, with the rebound falling to the grateful Giroud, who swept the ball home.

Sanchez had played a big part in helping to create the opening goal, but just could not seem to get his name on the score sheet. Much had been made of the Chilean’s goal drought, which had stretched to seven games by the time the QPR game had arrived, with several pundits attempting to link the return of Ozil to the starting line with Sanchez’s sudden lack of goals. The assumption was that the two just could not play together and when the Chilean was clean through on goal but showed a severe lack of confidence as he fluffed his lines, alarm bells were ringing.

However, all fears were soon dispelled as on the 69^th minute Sanchez got the goal his performance deserved. Surging down the left flank, entering the penalty area, then jinking one way and the other, before firing a powerful effort past Green, beating the Englishman at his near post. It was Sanzhez’s most difficult chance of the night, but he buried it with great skill, determination and confidence. The last of those three was the most important as the goal drought could have got to him and affected his game, but the Chilean has a never say die attitude and hopefully will now go on to score plenty more goals this season.

Arsenal were now in complete control and could have added a third when Ozil’s shot beat Green but came back off the post. That miss could have proved costly as the Gunners had not managed to kill the game off and with eight minutes left Charlie Austin reduced the deficit to ensure a nervous finish.

QPR threw everything at the visitors in the final stages, even sending Steven Caulker forward as a make shift centre forward, to lump long balls towards him. But Arsenal stood firm and the home side failed to create chances of any note, enabling the Gunners to secure all three points. The win was crucial in the race for a top four finish as all the teams fighting for Champions League qualification won their mid-week games; and so the race goes down to the final ten games.