Wilshere's promising return

Arsenal 1-0 Doncaster

Following their lacklustre performance against Cologne the previous week, Arsenal’s second string line-up once again failed to impress on Wednesday night against Doncaster Rovers. Those within the squad seeking to press their case for inclusion in the first team missed their opportunity for the second week in succession as the Gunners toiled to a 1-0 victory.

Arsenal fans arriving at the Emirates stadium were excited by the prospect of seeing Jack Wilshere’s first start for the club this season, following his recovery from a leg fracture suffered while on loan at Bournemouth during the previous campaign. The Englishman didn’t disappoint and was one of the few players to emerge with any credibility having put in an assured performance. Wilshere was at the centre of most of Arsenal’s attacking play with the ball going through him more often than not. His confidence is clearly still there as he constantly demanded the ball and was happy to attempt intricate through balls and long range passes with which he more often than not found his target perfectly.

It is widely acknowledged that Arsenal have missed the abilities of Santi Cazorla in the deep lying midfield role as the Spaniard’s technical and passing quality helped Arsenal to transition the ball from defence to attack. The big question with Wilshere is of course his fitness and whether or not he can avoid injury, but if he could, then he is the closest player that Arsenal have to Cazorla in this respect and his presence in the Gunners first team would only benefit the side. Until he signs a new contract, rumours will continue to persist regarding the Englishman’s future, but he would be a big loss were he to move away from the club.

Another player whose Arsenal future also appears to be in the balance, Calum Chambers, also performed well in the first half before having his evening cut short, during the half time break, presumably by injury. Chambers has clearly benefited from his loan spell at Middlesbrough last season and was particularly impressive with his constant communication as he made sure that those around him were always in position and aware of any danger around them. His presence amongst the back line appeared to provide a calming influence within the team as he was assured in everything he did and it was particularly noticeable that the defence began to wobble during the second half once Chambers had been withdrawn. Arsene Wenger will hope that the former Southampton man has not suffered a serious injury as on this showing he is certainly pushing Rob Holding, if not having moved above him in the pecking order. Unfortunately for Holding he once again endured a night to forget as he struggled to make the right decisions and appears to have lost all confidence from his game.

Either side of the back three Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were deployed out of position, as wing backs, and struggled to make a significant impact on the game. Maitland-Niles did however show a significant turn of pace on two occasions during the second half as Doncaster threatened with clear runs on goal, only for the striker to be expertly robbed of possession by the rapidly retreating Maitland-Niles.

While Arsenal’s wing backs were inexperienced youngsters, the front three were anything but and yet they also failed to cover themselves in any glory as Giroud and Walcott in particular were largely anonymous for most of the game. Although Giroud was unfortunate in the first half to see a wonderful acrobatic effort come crashing back off the crossbar, while Walcott did score the only goal of the game, both struggled to cause a constant threat to the Doncaster back line. Giroud spent a lot of the time on the ground, complaining about challenges and Walcott just drifted out of the game far too easily. At the moment it appears that both players have simply accepted their status as reserve team players and are not fighting anywhere near hard enough to get back into first team contention. Arsene Wenger may describe his squad as large in terms of numbers, but he certainly couldn’t rely on either Giroud or Walcott to plug any gaps up front should they be required.

Alongside them was Alexis Sanchez who does at least appear to be trying to influence the game as he at times chases the ball down with verve and determination, but it is difficult to escape the feeling that he isn’t putting in as much effort as he used to, almost as though he is going through the motions. Of course it is in his interests to get back to match fitness, but there is a feeling that this is all he intends to do. Whether Arsenal win, lose or draw, Sanchez’s future lies elsewhere and he knows this as much as the manager, players and fans know it. Maybe it is this knowledge, in the back of all our minds, that is tainting our perception of him. For instance, Sanchez has always been extremely demanding of those around him, throwing his arms up in dismay whenever a teammate fails to pick him out with a pass, but whereas before this was seen as somewhat endearing, as his childlike enthusiasm for the game and sheer will to win, it is now becoming rather tiresome, especially when the player on the receiving end of his ire is a youngster making his first steps into first team football.

At the sound of the final whistle on Wednesday Arsenal could only breathe a sigh of relief as they had managed to scrape past Doncaster and into the next round of the League Cup, without the need for extra time. The level of performance from those players with a point to prove will have only strengthened Wenger’s belief that those on the fringes of the first team should remain there, while those youngsters who are pushing for promotion to the first team are not yet at the level required for first team action. Those who played against Doncaster are somewhat fortunate that Arsenal’s participation in this competition continues and so they may have another chance to impress, in addition to the opportunities which will be available in the Europa League this season. However if they continue to fail to make a positive impression in these games, these opportunities will surely soon dry up. The players would do well to remember that.