Defensive errors once again prove costly

Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool

 

Last night’s match against Liverpool was best viewed from behind a sofa thanks to the defensive horror show served up by the Gunners. Arsenal’s defending has always been the weakest aspect of their game but while I can appreciate that given the attacking nature of Arsene Wenger’s side, they will tend to leave themselves open at the back, there can be no excuse for the Arsenal defence making basic errors on a regular basis and hoping that the team’s attacking players can rescue the side.

 

Had Liverpool been more ruthless in attack yesterday, they would have been well out of sight by half time. In the first half in particular, the link up play between their front three, with Suarez central to every move, was superb at times. Their intelligent movement also seemed to mesmerise the Arsenal defence and caused them no end of trouble. The Gunners defenders were caught out of position on numerous occasions and quite frankly looked all at sea and out of their depth.

 

Behind the defence, although Szczesny did produce a fine save right at the end of the game to ensure his side would at least take a point from this match; his first half performance also left much to be desired. On one occasion he took far too long to clear the ball on receiving a back pass and then compounded his error by attempting a Cruyff turn to elude Sturridge who was millimetres away from catching the Pole out.  Later in the first half, Szczesny was indebted to Podolski, following the German’s goal line clearance to deny Daniel Agger from doubling Liverpool’s lead from a free header, with the Arsenal goal keeper caught in no man’s land, having come for a ball he couldn’t possibly collect.

 

Ultimately, both Liverpool goals were prime examples of the pathetic defending which has come to epitomise every single Arsenal performance of late.

 

The first was quite simply a comedy of errors, the likes of which would normally be expected at a Sunday League game and not at the highest level of the game. With only five minutes played, Luis Suarez attempted to flick the ball through to Glen Johnson, but did not make sufficient contact with the ball and it appeared as though possession would simply fall straight to Sagna. However, just at the crucial moment, the French right back slipped, allowing Johnson to collect the ball and send a low cross into the Arsenal box. Yet there still did not seem to be any real danger for the Gunners as Thomas Vermaelen was well placed to clear the ball. But in attempting to do so the Belgian completely missed it, allowing Johnson’s cross to reach Daniel Sturridge at the back post. The former Chelsea man controlled the ball before shooting on goal, but was denied by an excellent save from Szczesny, who made himself as big as possible. The ball rebounded off the Pole and appeared destined to be collected by Ramsey, on the edge of the box, but the Welshman failed to control it and lost possession to Henderson, who laid the ball into Suarez’s path for the Uruguayan to fire home thanks to a deflection off Mertesacker.

 

Liverpool’s second goal which arrived on the hour mark, only served to further highlight just how poor the Arsenal defence has become. Jordan Henderson was simply allowed to waltz through the Gunners defence, evading four players before sliding the ball into the back off the net. Had such a goal been scored by Suarez, with his quick feet, sumptuous skill and pace, it would have been far easier to swallow. But this was Henderson, a player who is not renowned for possessing any of these qualities, yet the Arsenal defence made him look like a world beater. One drop of the shoulder was all it took to bewilder both Mertesacker and Santos, enabling Henderson to surge past them, hold off another challenge, benefit from a fortunate ricochet and score the goal that at the time appeared to have secured victory.

 

Based on last night’s performance in particular, some will argue that Arsenal’s training ground methods must come under more scrutiny, as it appears that the Gunners do not conduct any defensive drills at all. Upon his appointment as assistant manager, Steve Bould was heralded as the man who would tighten up the Gunners backline and while this did appear to be the case three games into the season, Arsenal’s defensive displays have since steadily deteriorated. There just doesn’t appear to be any defensive plan or organisation and as a result the Gunners are easily undone.

 

Another major problem for Wenger is that Kieran Gibbs is currently the only consistent performer from his first choice back four. Unfortunately the English left back sustained an injury yesterday which is expected to keep him out of action for up to three weeks, leaving Arsenal with the error strewn Andre Santos.

 

The Brazilian was once again abysmal yesterday, caught out of position, sliding into tackles on the half way line with reckless abandon, leaving acres of space in behind him. Santos’ game does not possess one redeeming feature. He has no pace, his passing ability is average at best, he has no concept of defending and doesn’t support the attack either. Yesterday with seconds left on the clock, he almost threw the game away thanks to a ridiculous square ball along the back line which allowed Downing to gain possession and set up Suarez who was denied by Szczesny’s great save. The fact Santos continues to be a member of the Arsenal squad is unbelievable.

 

Thomas Vermaelen’s performances have also been extremely poor since being handed the captain’s armband. The Belgian does not offer any leadership to the side and appears to be suffering from a crisis of confidence, with simple and costly errors blighting his season so far and clearly affecting the rest of the defensive unit. In previous seasons, Vermaelen would carry the ball out from defence, driving his team forward. However he no longer does this and as a result, when the opposition press Arsenal high up the field, the Gunners are easily stifled. This has also been directly caused by Per Mertesacker’s weak range of passing as the opposition focus their pressing game on the German, allowing him to have possession. Consequently the Gunners are not able to rapidly move the ball forward and with Mertesacker on the ball are more likely to win it back.

 

The German was signed as an experienced international who would provide a calming influence in the Arsenal defence. Unfortunately, his presence has only served to cause more nervousness and anxiety. It was proclaimed that Mertesacker’s lack of pace would not be a problem due to his outstanding positional sense. Yet he is frequently caught out of position, his sluggishness compounding the problem further. During the first half yesterday one simple forward ball from Downing completely dissected the Arsenal defence, with Mertesacker inexplicably finding himself near the right flank, allowing Henderson all the time in the world to run through on goal and size up a chipped effort on goal as Szczesny came out to confront him.

 

At right back, Carl Jenkinson’s continued omission from the first team is simply baffling given that Bacary Sagna’s performances have been well below his best this season. After suffering from fractures to his leg, the Frenchman appears to have lost his strength in the challenge and is also frequently caught out of position. His surging forward runs are still a part of his game at times but often come to nothing as he struggles to beat the first man when crossing the ball.

 

With the Arsenal defence performing as badly as they were, the only surprise was that Liverpool weren’t further ahead at the hour mark. Up until this point, despite the recent customary Arsenal second half improvement, the away side had been extremely comfortable and as the game approached the 70^th minute, there seemed no way back for the Gunners. However Olivier Giroud’s header brought the home side right back into the game following Wilshere’s excellent free kick delivery and from this point on there only appeared to be one team capable of winning the game.

 

As the Gunners piled on the pressure, Giroud laid the ball into Walcott on the edge of the box for the Englishman to let rip a wonderful, powerful effort which flew low, past Reina and into the bottom corner of the goal to restore parity. It was a fantastic strike and Arsenal were now clearly in the ascendancy but just could not find the vital third goal to seal a remarkable comeback. Giroud was denied by Reina and moments later the Frenchman just couldn’t connect with Podolski’s low cross, with the goal at his mercy.

 

Unfortunately the Gunners didn’t get the third goal and ultimately had to settle for a point. Wenger’s side once again threw away the first half and only came into the game once Liverpool appeared to be out of sight. The manager spoke about the great character and spirit of the side to come back from two goals down but the Arsenal faithful are growing weary of hearing the same thing over and over again. As long as Wenger doesn’t address the glaring issues in his defence, Arsenal will always be on the back foot.

Walcott sends Gunners through

Birghton 2-3 Arsenal

Arsenal made hard work of defeating Championship Brighton at The Amex Stadium yesterday as shocking defensive errors once again undermined the Gunners attacking efforts.

Arsene Wenger made several changes to the side that had beaten West Ham 5-1 in midweek, but the least inspiring of these was the inclusion of Andre Santos at left back. The Brazilian’s performance was absolutely abysmal. Santos just never seemed to know what he was doing or where he was on the pitch and as a result he was continually caught out of position. For Santos, positioning is everything as he does not possess the pace to get back and recover.  Last season, the Brazilian’s apparent lack of understanding when it comes to defending, was slightly compensated for by his attacking capabilities which have become so crucial to the full back role in the modern game. However Santos no longer supports the attack in the way he used to last season and actually, doesn’t really get forward at all, leaving many Arsenal fans perplexed as to why Wenger decides to play him at all. If the manager decided to rest Kieran Gibbs, surely he could look beyond Santos and instead select someone from the youth ranks. There must be a player there who is a more accomplished left back than Santos, a player such as Jernade Meade, who performed so well in this position, on his Champions League debut against Olympiacos.  Yet despite his reputation for giving young players a chance, Wenger seems surprisingly reluctant to introduce anyone from his youth team. For example, having heaped praise on Serge Gnabry in pre season and witnessed the impressive performance of Thomas Eisfeld against Reading in the Captial One Cup, the manager still persists with having the completely ineffective Andrei Arshavin on the bench instead.

Having persevered with Santos and subsequently endured 79 minutes of abjectness, Wenger finally decided to replace the Brazilian with Kieran Gibbs and the huge gulf in class which exists between the two was immediately apparent.  Gibbs’ presence not only shored up the defence as Arsenal finally had a player at left back who knew what he was doing but the Englishman also brought his hunger, passion and desire into the game as he was more than happy to throw himself into challenges, fully committed as well as supporting the attack with intelligent and incisive forward runs. Such forays added another dimension to the Arsenal attack and therefore enabled the Gunners to pose a greater attacking threat.

The away side had earlier taken the lead in the 15^th minute thanks to an exceptional piece of counter attacking play. As Szczesny collected the ball from a Brighton cross, the Pole, who normally tends to hold onto the ball for a few seconds, this time immediately threw it out to Thomas Rosicky. The Czech international, returning to first team action after a lengthy injury, has been sorely missed as he possesses the ability to carry the ball forward, committing the opposition’s midfield and defence and so is a vital cog in the Arsenal midfield.  Rosicky sprinted forward, carrying the ball from the edge of the Gunners box, into the final third, before laying it into Podolski on the edge of the Brighton penalty area. The German international then passed the ball back to Giroud who curled a wonderful shot into the top corner.

However the lead did not last long and in the 33^rd minute, Brighton were level. David Lopez collected a short corner and crossed into the box for the completely un-marked Will Buckley to head home. The goal perfectly highlighted Arsenal’s defensive deficiencies once more. Wenger insists on his side employing zonal marking when defending from set pieces, however for this to work, every player has to attack the ball. Yesterday, every single Arsenal player simply stood still as Buckley waltzed through. Giroud, at the near post, should be the first player attempting to head the ball clear, but the Frenchman did absolutely nothing as it came into the box. Per Mertesacker was also culpable as with his immense height, the German should be dominating the penalty area, making sure that he wins every aerial challenge. However he does not appear to have the stomach for the fight and as long as Arsenal have players like this, they will continue to struggle to defend from set pieces.

In a mirror image of the first half, the Gunners once again took the lead in the second period, through Giroud, only to be pegged back once more thanks to more atrocious defending. First, Abou Diaby’s delightful clipped ball over the Brighton defence was brilliantly brought down by Giroud, before firing home with his second touch. It was an excellent goal by the Frenchman, as he displayed brilliant movement to get into the position in the first place, exquisite skill to control the ball as it came over his shoulder and then great strength to hold off the Brighton defender before unleashing his shot.

Yet, only six minutes later and Brighton were on level terms once again. Ashley Barnes was afforded far too much time and space on the right flank, by Santos and Arsenal were made to pay, as Barnes’ wonderful cross found Ulloa in between both Gunners central defenders, to head the ball past Szczesny. While Santos should have closed Barnes down and prevented him from delivering his cross, Mertesacker completely lost his man in the middle of the goal and was made to pay. Wenger must surely expect more from a man who has accrued so many caps for Germany.

The manager was at least able to call in the cavalry with 22 minutes remaining, with Wilshere and Walcott entering the fray. Immediately, the Gunners possessed more energy in the midfield and carried more of an attacking threat too. Yet it was with the introduction of Gibbs that Arsenal really began to apply the pressure and as the Englishman surged forward with 85 minutes on the clock, Giroud’s acrobatic effort to steer Gibbs’ cross was deflected behind. Brighton could only clear the ball from the resulting corner straight to Walcott, whose goal bound volley hit a Brighton defender and flew into the net to send Arsenal through to the next round.

Once again as with the game against West Ham, the Gunners attacking play was rather impressive at times, particularly their first goal which was reminiscent of so many Arsenal goals of yesteryear. If they continue along this path the Gunners will pose a threat to any opposition. However, if Wenger’s side continue to defend with such reckless abandon, their ambitions will continue to be undermined.

10 minute goal fest seals victory

Arsenal 5-1 West Ham

Having suffered a demoralising defeat away to Chelsea, Arsenal bounced back in impressive fashion yesterday. It wasn’t just the fact they secured all three points against West Ham, but the manner of their performance which was most striking. In their two previous league matches, the Gunners had failed to perform in the first half, only to then vastly improve in the second period, but ultimately to no avail.

 

Last night however, the home side’s display was full of movement and invention. Giroud, who had been largely anonymous against Chelsea as he struggled to link up play, became the fulcrum of the Arsenal attack. The Frenchman was more than willing to receive the ball with his back to goal, before expertly laying it off to a teammate, often granting them the opportunity to advance on goal and have a shot.

 

The Gunners wide players, Walcott and the returning Podolski, ran West Ham ragged with their constant movement as they sought to get in behind the visitor’s defence. It is such movement which has been distinctly lacking in Arsenal’s performances against the best teams in the Premier League. These have been displays characterised by the Gunners complete lack of attacking ideas. Yesterday however, Arsenal’s creative midfielders, Wilshere and Cazorla had an abundance of options each and every time they had the ball. Additionally, with Giroud ably holding the ball up, they also had the confidence to embark on forward runs, which West Ham simply couldn’t cope with.

 

Yet while Arsenal’s passing and movement were a joy to behold, as the team surged forward time and time again, particularly in the second half, the Gunners Achilles heel for so many years, defending set pieces, also reared its ugly head once more. A West Ham side managed by Sam Allardyce were always going to pose a threat from set pieces, so Arsenal should have been prepared. However, in the first half, the Gunners inadequacies from their zonal marking system were laid bare once again as on three occasions the visitors were allowed free headers. These instances were a sign of things to come and in the 18^th minute, Giroud’s headed clearance from a corner fell straight to Jack Collison, who was completely unmarked on the edge of the Arsenal box. Collison was afforded enough time and space to bring the ball down and fire a powerful effort past Szczesny to leave the home crowd stunned and give the visitors the lead.

 

With the Arsenal faithful extremely frustrated, it was crucial for the Gunners to get themselves back into the game as quickly as possible. Four minutes after Collison’s strike, Lukas Podolski set the Emirates alight with a wonderful effort from 25 yards out. Having received the ball from Wilshere, the German international took one touch before taking a swing with his favoured left foot. The ball travelled so fast into the far corner of the net that Jaaskelainen simply had no chance of saving it; it was a truly exceptional goal which gave the Gunners great impetus.

 

Arsenal were pouring forward now and could have taken the lead 10 minutes before half time. Great interplay between Giroud and Gibbs, sent the Englishman clear on the edge of the box, unfortunately his cut back was just out of Podolski’s reach and the German couldn’t stretch far enough to make sufficient contact with the ball and double his tally for the night.

 

The Gunners may have felt hard done by not to be leading at the half time whistle, however they made sure this would not be the case come full time, with an exceptional 10 minute demolition at the start of the second half, in which Arsenal scored four goals without reply.

 

First, as Theo Walcott prepared to take a corner, Olivier Giroud’s fantastic run caught the West Ham defence napping, allowing the Frenchman to ghost in at the near post before volleying Walcott’s delivery against Jaaskelainen and into the back of the net to give the Gunners the lead.

 

Giroud’s strike opened up the floodgates and every time Arsenal attacked, they seemed likely to score. In the 53^rd minute, the home side added their third goal of the night, thanks to wonderful interplay between Giroud and Podolski on the edge of the box. The duo exchanged passes before Podolski slid the ball across to Cazorla. At first it appeared as though the Spaniard was too close to the goalkeeper to score, but in an act of wonderful skill and technical ability, Cazorla managed to turn and back flick the ball past the bamboozled Jaaskelainen and across the line.

 

The bombardment was not finished yet and only a minute after Cazorla had made the score 3-1 to the Gunners, Walcott added his name to score sheet too. Wilshere’s perfectly weighted pass sent Podolski clear on the left and the German’s wonderful ball right across the box was steered home by Walcott at the back post. Podolski turned provider once more, in the 57th minute, as Giroud this time flicked the German’s low ball past Jaaskelainen to complete a wonderful ten minute spell for the Gunners.

 

Arsene Wenger will be extremely proud of the way in which his side responded to the disappointment of defeats against both Chelsea and Manchester City. However, the Gunners cannot rest on their laurels and must reproduce such displays game after game, regardless of the opposition. The fact they haven’t been able to do so since the start of the season is the reason why Arsenal find themselves in the position they are in.

Gunners made to pay for poor start again!

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

While witnessing Arsenal’s steady decline in recent seasons, many supporters have bemoaned the lack of significant spending during successive transfer windows as well as the circumstances which have left the club largely helpless in preventing top quality players from leaving year after year. However, while there has been a near constant upheaval in personnel, one of the most frustrating traits of Arsene Wenger’s sides has been ever present; the fact they never seem to learn from their mistakes.

 

It is impossible for a side to improve and develop, without looking back critically at their previous failings and seeking solutions for the future. Yet the coaching staff at Arsenal never seem to do this and so the same mistakes are simply repeated time and time again. Yesterday’s match against Chelsea was another prime example. In the previous league game at home to Manchester City, the Gunners were made to pay for an extremely slow start, with the match effectively over well before halftime. Wenger’s side did rally in the second half but just could not get themselves back in the game. Afterwards, the manager and the players were all quick to condemn their sluggish start against one of the league’s top sides, but unfortunately, nothing seems to have been done to prevent it from happening again.

 

Chelsea were effectively there for the taking yesterday. They came into this game having squandered a two goal lead against Southampton in midweek and with the home crowd becoming quickly restless and frustrated, Rafael Benitez’s side have been extremely poor at Stamford Bridge since he took over. Wenger surely would have stressed to his side just how important it was to keep things tight for the first 25 minutes of the game. The Gunners should have come out of the blocks enormously fired up, looking to win every tackle, being first to every second ball and exerting pressure on the home side. Had they done this, the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge would have quickly soured.

 

Unfortunately, Arsenal didn’t go into the game with all guns blazing. In a repeat of their performance against Manchester City, the Gunners were once again extremely timid in the first half. They were second to every ball, easily outmuscled and overrun in midfield and their defending was abysmal. Up front Olivier Giroud’s attempts to hold the ball up were pathetic. Despite his physical presence, every time a pass was played into Giroud, the ball simply bounced back and Arsenal lost possession. As a result, the Gunners had no “out ball” and so became effectively pinned back in their own half. The Frenchman also failed to display a striker’s ruthless streak, as he was played through on goal by Walcott in the first few minutes of the game, only to fail to even hit the target. Had Giroud converted that effort, the game may well have taken on a different complexion. Yet instead it was Chelsea who seized the initiative and took hold of the game by the scruff of the neck.

 

Seconds after Giroud had missed that golden opportunity; Francis Coquelin surged forward from midfield. As the young Frenchman attempted to pass the ball to Santi Cazorla, he was caught by Ramires. It was an obvious foul and the referee had a clear view of it but he strangely decided to waive play on instead. While the Gunners were right to feel aggrieved by this decision, it is still no excuse for the mistakes that followed. As a result of being fouled, Coquelin’s pass was played behind Cazorla and picked up by Azpilicueta. However rather than chasing back in an attempt to regain possession, Cazorla just stood still. This allowed Azpilicueta the space and time to surge forward before unleashing a perfect cross-field ball to Juan Mata, on the edge of the box. The Spaniard had found himself in acres of space due to Sagna being caught up field following the loss of possession and the fact that Per Mertesacker didn’t track back to cover his team mate. In fact as the attack was unfolding, the German didn’t even once look behind him and ended up covering a space which Vermaelen already had covered. Mata collected the pass, held off the challenge of Sagna before firing into the roof of the net to give Chelsea the lead in only the 6^th minute of the game.

 

The home side continued to apply the pressure and every time they attacked Chelsea looked extremely dangerous against Arsenal’s poor defence. In the 16^th minute the situation became even worse, as the home side doubled their lead. Ramires caught Diaby dawdling on the ball and easily dispossessed him, before exchanging passes with Oscar and falling over the advancing Szczesny to win his side a penalty. Although replays indicated it was a very soft penalty, having awarded the spot kick, the referee could have easily decided to send off the Arsenal goalkeeper too. On this occasion a yellow card was produced, but up stepped Frank Lampard to despatch the penalty and give Chelsea a two goal lead. It was a case of déjà vu for the Gunners, and again they only had themselves to blame.

 

The irony of Chelsea’s second goal is that it arrived in the sixteenth minute of the game. This has been the point in each match that Chelsea’s supporters have sung the name of Benitez’s predecessor, Roberto Di Matteo. However, in a clear indication of just how important a good solid start was for Arsenal, this chant was not heard at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

 

As soon as Lampard sent the home side two goals clear, the Gunners were all at sea. Chelsea had their tails up and Arsenal simply couldn’t get close to them as they sprayed the ball around the pitch with consummate ease, leaving their opponents to chase shadows. Bacary Sagna, whose form has been far from his best this season, was enduring an absolute nightmare, caught out of position time and time again. The midfield just couldn’t get into the game with Cazorla and Walcott largely anonymous and even Jack Wilshere, so instrumental against Swansea, struggling to exert any influence on proceedings. Such was their dominance; Chelsea should have been clear out of sight by half time.

 

Yet although they didn’t deserve it, Arsenal were still in the game and their second half performance was much improved. Suddenly the Gunners were pressing Chelsea, flying into tackles and displaying the hunger and desire which had been severely lacking in the first half. As a result, the visitors began to create chances, with both Walcott and Mertesacker going close early in the second period, before Giroud once again failed to connect properly with Gibbs’ cross and his tame effort was easily collected by Cech.

 

The Arsenal pressure told just before the hour mark as Cazorla’s pass sent Walcott through and the Englishman celebrated the signing of his new contract with a cool calm and composed finished to reduce the deficit. Unfortunately for the Gunners, Coquelin was injured in the build-up to the goal and had to be replaced by Ramsey. The Welshman’s presence was not what Arsenal needed as he invariably slows the game down and as a result the Gunners lost some of their high intensity in the middle of the park and Chelsea were allowed to slowly get back into the game.

With Arsenal needing a second push, the manager and supporters looked towards the bench for inspiration. Unfortunately, all they found there was Andrei Arshavin. A squad which Wenger has persistently claimed is strong enough seemingly cannot handle the absence of four players. Arteta, Podolski and Oxlade-Chamberlain are out injured, while Gervinho is at the African Nations Cup, leaving Arsenal without a striker or real attacking midfielder on the bench. Wenger had no option but to introduce Arshavin, but the Gunners may as well have been playing with 10 men.

 

Consequently Arsenal just ran out of steam. They could have easily been caught out on the break too as both Torres and Ba should have restored Chelsea’s two goal lead, but were thwarted by Szczesny and Vermaelen respectively. As the game entered into injury time the visitors had a succession of corners but each and every time, Cech came off his line and easily punched the ball away.

 

At the final whistle, as had happened seven days ago, the Gunners were once again forced to look back with great regret. Although many inside the club will attempt to hold up the second half display as an act of great spirit and character, in truth it only serves to highlight the cowardice which is indicative of this group of players. Rather than having the courage to have a real go at Chelsea from the start, they hid and froze with fear. Per Mertesacker last week admitted that the same had happened at home to Manchester City. In the post match press conference, even Wenger suggested that his side may not finish inside the top four this season. If the eternal optimist has lost faith, then we should all be worried!

Magnificent Wilshere sends Arsenal through

Arsenal 1-0 Swansea

Jack Wilshere’s excellent performance was a joy to behold last night as the young Englishman single-handedly dominated this FA Cup tie from start to emphatic finish. Arsene Wenger’s side had been deprived of this immensely talented individual for almost 17 months as Wilshere struggled to return to full fitness due to a persistent ankle injury. Since his return however, Wilshere has simply played as though he had never been away. His great hunger and desire to win have never been in question, with Wilshere willingly putting his body on line for the sake of the team as he throws himself into tackles time and time again.

However there were concerns that having been away from the game for so long and at such an important stage in his career, Arsenal’s new number 10 would struggle to reach the high expectations which had been placed on his young shoulders during his breakthrough season with the club. Gunners fans needn’t have worried though as since his return to first team action, against Queens Park Rangers, on 27^th October, Wilshere’s game has been steadily developing and improving, culminating in last night’s master class against Swansea.

Having previously deployed him in a deeper lying central midfield role, Arsene Wenger decided to play Wilshere further up the field yesterday, just behind Olivier Giroud, a position from which the young Englishman could drive his side forward. Such was the magnitude of his performance; it could well be a position which he takes up on a more permanent basis. Arsenal fans would have been particularly impressed last night with Wilshere’s ability to carry the ball as on several occasions he simply drifted past two, three then four Swansea players, prompting the Emirates crowd to rise as one in awe and excited frenzy. His hunger, passion and desire were on display too as Wilshere showcased his never say die attitude once more, refusing to give up on any seemingly lost cause. As a result, Arsenal always looked dangerous, especially in the second half, creating 26 goal scoring opportunities overall.

Yet in the first half, Swansea’s former Gunner, Kyle Bartley, had the best chance as he repeated his feat from the first match between the two sides at the Liberty Stadium, by seeing his headed effort come back off the bar. However, Arsenal who had their fair share of half chances in the first period, completely dominated the second half and could have been ahead within five minutes of the restart, as Abou Diaby’s perfectly weighted pass sent Walcott through on goal. As the Englishman attempted to race clear, he was clearly pushed by Chico Flores but refused to go down and still managed to get his shot away. Unfortunately the ball sailed harmlessly past the far post and seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game. The Gunners continued to push forward with Cazorla and Giroud also seeing their efforts fly wide of goal before Wilshere danced past several Swansea defenders and into the box on the hour mark. His powerful shot was palmed away by Vorm but fell straight to Walcott who appeared to have the goal at his mercy. However, his prodded effort was cleared off the line by Danny Graham. Seconds later and the visitors were at it again as Leon Britton headed Giroud’s effort away from goal, while stood on the goal line.

As the game wore on Grioud was denied again as he hit a shot straight at Vorm, Walcott managed to engineer some space for himself in the box but could only fire his shot wide of goal and Sagna’s powerful effort flew over the bar. As the prospect of extra time loomed, although Arsenal continued to dominate and pour forward at will, it appeared as though this would be one of those days when the ball just would not go into the back of the net, no matter how hard they tried. This feeling was certainly not abated when with eight minutes left Walcott managed to get the faintest of touches on a cross, only to see the ball come back off the far post, before Giroud’s goal bound shot was inadvertently cleared off the line by Wilshere.

The Arsenal faithful needn’t have worried though, as with five minutes left, Wilshere got the goal his performance so richly deserved. Giroud’s ball set the young Englishman up perfectly to advance on goal and unleash an unstoppable effort past Vorm, to send Wilshere, the rest of his Arsenal teammates and the crowd into wild hysterics. Wilshere’s celebration showed just what this club means to him and he is the one player who is truly pivotal to this side. Wenger must now build a team around him; it is surely the only way forward.  

Arsenal’s performance last night, particularly in the second half, was very encouraging. The Gunners have repeatedly struggled throughout this season to create goal scoring opportunities but yesterday were doing this at will. Yet although it is fair to say last night’s performance was reminiscent of Arsenal of old, there have been far too many false dawns this season for Gunners fans to get their hopes up. Only if Arsenal perform to a similar level during Sunday’s tough away game to Chelsea and then follow that up with another strong showing at home to West Ham and Liverpool, can the Arsenal faithful finally begin to believe that their side has found the consistency that has been desperately lacking so far this season.

Ten man Gunners succumb to superior City

Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City

 

Manchester City ended their 37 year wait for a victory at the home of Arsenal F.C. yesterday with a composed performance in which they were always in control. The visitors were of course aided in their quest for three points by the early dismissal of Laurent Koscielny, but the Frenchman only had himself to blame for effectively ending the match as a contest with barely 10 minutes gone.

 

Yet even before the sending off, Manchester City had been camped in the Arsenal half. They had started the game far hungrier than the Gunners, who by Wenger’s own admission were too timid from the kick-off. As this has been a recurring problem for Arsenal this season, it would appear that nothing is being done to address it.

 

In his press conference before the game, the manager had suggested that there would be no need to dip into the transfer market during the current window as with players returning from injury, his squad was now rather complete. However, a training ground injury to Mikel Arteta, highlighted just how absurd this statement was. The Spaniard’s injury resulted in Wenger handing Abou Diaby his first start in three months, in the centre of midfield, rather than Ramsey or Coquelin, which tells its own story.    

 

As a result, Arsenal had no bite in the middle of the park. Diaby was clearly off the pace, continually giving the ball away, easily being outmuscled and losing virtually every 50-50 challenge. The Frenchman had played for just over an hour in the under 21’s game against West Brom in mid-week and should never have been placed in that position against the champions. Unfortunately Wenger is too stubborn for his own good. Throughout the entire campaign the need for an out and out defensive midfielder has been clear for all to see, having missed the opportunity to rectify this issue in the summer it would appear that Wenger is set to do so again in January.

 

It was always going to be crucial yesterday for the Gunners to compete in the midfield, to disrupt Manchester City and prevent them from building momentum. However once again, there was only one Arsenal midfielder prepared to battle with all his heart and soul; Jack Wilshere. The young Englishman was immense as he carried the fight to the opposition, flying into tackles, constantly being fouled, but getting straight back up again for more. Yet despite his supreme exertion, Wilshere’s efforts were ultimately futile as he was essentially left to battle alone against City’s central midfield. Santi Cazorla is a supremely talented player but he does not appear to be one who is prepared to put his body on the line and graft in the same way Wilshere is. When all is going well, Cazorla comes to the fore, but when he has to earn the right to play, the Spaniard drifts out of the game and becomes largely anonymous.

 

Once Koscielny had been given his marching orders, Arsenal’s heads dropped. The fans were ready to roar their side on to a famous result but there was just no belief within those in red and white. Even when Dzeko missed the resulting spot kick, the ball cannoning off Szczesny’s legs against the inside of the post and back into the goalkeeper’s arms, there were no Arsenal players running to congratulate Szczesny. Having gone down to ten men, Wenger’s side just did not possess the players to grind out a result against the odds. With Walcott as the lone striker, the Gunners had no presence up front and so whenever they had possession, Arsenal could not get out of their own half as they had no one who could hold the ball up to bring his team mates into the game. Podolski, out on the wing, did not provide sufficient defensive cover for Kieran Gibbs and in fact both City goals came from this side, while another stark deficiency, the lack of a real leader in the defensive unit to galvanise the side, was highlighted once more. In the days of Tony Adams, the captain would have been screaming at his side, refusing to give in, leading by example and thriving in adversity.

 

Yesterday however, the Gunners seemed to accept their fate with a mere shrug of the shoulders and so there was no real surprise when they went behind in the 21^st minute. Having conceded a free kick, several Arsenal players inexplicably turned their backs to the ball and so were in no position to react as Manchester City took a quick free kick. David Silva passed to Tevez and the Argentine’s ball to Milner dissected four Arsenal players. Despite this, the Englishman was still faced with an acute angle, yet he unleashed a wonderful shot to beat Szczesny and give City the lead as the ball bounced in off the same post which had earlier come to Arsenal’s rescue. The visitors doubled their lead in the 32^nd minute as Zabaletta out fought Gibbs far too easily before the ball found its way to Milner and his low cross was diverted goal wards by Tevez. Although Szczesny saved the Argentine’s shot, he could only parry the ball straight to Dzeko who simply couldn’t miss.

 

From this point on City were in total and complete control. They passed the ball amongst themselves, holding Arsenal at arm’s length, ready to up their game if needed. They could have gone in at half time with a three goal lead, were it not for Wilshere’s headed clearance off the line from Javi Garcia.

 

Although Arsenal’s second half performance was much improved, it was a case of too little too late. Yes had they converted their chances, with Giroud diverting a free header over the bar and Walcott’s late effort cleared off the line by Lescott, the Gunners may well have managed to secure an unlikely draw. But in truth City were in total control, even after Kompany’s late red card for dangerous play.

 

Arsene Wenger’s side must now regroup quickly as the games come thick and fast. If the manager does not strengthen the squad by the end of the January transfer window, he runs the serious risk of overseeing an Arsenal side which will fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time under his stewardship.

Gunners rue defensive errors

Swansea 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal’s defensive frailties were laid bare once more yesterday as the Gunners failed to hold onto a late lead against Swansea, allowing their hosts to force an FA cup third round replay, which Arsenal really could have done without.

Arsene Wenger’s side had clearly not learnt anything from the cheap goals they had conceded against both Newcastle and Southampton as their sloppy defensive errors cost them dear yet again. Having worked extremely hard to overturn a deficit to take the lead with only seven minutes remaining, Arsenal immediately appeared nervous at the back and incapable of defending crosses into the box. This is an area in which Wenger would be expecting Per Mertesacker to dominate with his immense height, but the German international seems to hide when the going gets tough. His performance yesterday only served to highlight the fact the Gunners still lack a real leader at the back, a situation which Wenger has allowed to fester for far too long. One incident in the first half yesterday, particularly emphasized just how poor Mertesacker is when faced with an aerial challenge. Defending from a free kick which was swung into the Arsenal penalty area, the German was far too easily out jumped and outmuscled by former Gunner Kyle Bartley, despite being the favourite to win the ball. Earlier in the first half, Mertesacker had also displayed his distinct lack of pace, as on this occasion he allowed Danny Graham to outmuscle and get in front of him before firing a shot on goal. In such areas Mertesacker should be prepared to put his body on the line to prevent the opposition from having a goal scoring opportunity, but unfortunately the German does not possess the fight required and is far too weak. Luckily for Arsenal, Bartley’s header hit the crossbar.

The German is also extremely poor in possession. He does not have the ability to spray the ball from side to side and open up the play and as a result mostly ends up passing the ball square or a few yards forward to a deep lying midfielder. Unfortunately for Mertesacker, the Premier League has moved on and evolved, such a forward pass is now predictable and extremely easy to read. As a result, the player who receives this ball will more often than not be immediately pressurised, forcing him to pass the ball back. This then leads to Arsenal’s play becoming slow and ponderous with very little invention. If only Wenger had decided to spend a significant sum on Gary Cahill when the Englishman had entered the final year of his contract at Bolton, the Gunners would have a defender who can not only defend at the highest level, but who also has the ability to accurately pass the ball further than five yards. Ball playing centre halves are now a necessity in the modern game, gone are the days when a defender would only be expected to put his head in where it hurts. Unfortunately, while Arsenal do possess two centre backs who are not afraid to bring the ball out from the back (Vermaelen and Koscielny) neither is enjoying a great season.

Although, during the first half yesterday, Arsenal’s midfield were completely swamped and just could not get themselves into the game, the start of the second period saw the Gunners growing into the match and creating chances. Giroud showed desire to meet Wlacott’s pass, only to see his effort saved by Vorn before the Frenchman volleyed straight at Vorm and Ramsey could have been awarded a penalty. Yet although it appeared only a matter of time before the Gunners broke the deadlock, it was Swansea who took the lead through Michu. The Spaniard had barely been on the field a minute when he easily flicked the ball over the stranded Mertesacker and ran through on goal to bundle the ball past Szczesny and give the home side the lead. Szczesny may feel disappointed not to have saved Michu’s shot as the ball seemed to go right under his arm, but nevertheless, Michu should not have been allowed to get into that position in the first place.

Although Arsenal continued to attack, it did not appear as though it would be their day as both Giroud and Walcott missed glorious chances to restore parity. However with nine minutes left, Podolski showed his natural goal poacher’s instinct to swivel in the area and divert the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Two minutes later and the visitors were in front thanks to a wonderful effort from Kieran Gibbs. The Englishman’s excellent volley from Giroud’s pass flying past Vorm to give Arsenal the lead.

Yet the Gunners’ poor defending came back to haunt them once again. With every ball that Swansea sent into the Arsenal penalty area, the visitors became more and more nervous. Despite only having seven minutes to hold onto their lead, the Gunners succumbed with three minutes left. Danny Graham was allowed to drift past his marker as Arsenal defended from a corner. Arteta, who was on the line, must have seen that the Englishman was in far too much space, but did not close him down and as the ball fell to him, Graham was allowed to control it and shoot past Szczesny to send the tie into a replay.

Arsene Wenger’s side now face an extremely busy January as along with this replay they must also play the rearranged Boxing Day fixture against West Ham. With the Gunners squad being clearly the poorest which Wenger has had in his time at the club, Arsenal will clearly struggle during this period. The manager only has himself to blame.  

Two steps back?

Southampton 1-1 Arsenal

Following yesterday’s dire performance against Southampton, many football pundits have described how frustrating events at the Emirates must be for all Arsenal fans, with the Gunners recent performances being a case of one step forward and two steps back.

However, pragmatic Gunners supporters would not have been too excited by the 7-3 result against Newcastle. If truth be told, that score line owed as much to the fact the Magpies tired in the last 20 minutes as it did to Arsenal’s attacking play. Here lies the problem with the Gunners season so far. It appears that every time Arsenal secure a victory there is, more often than not, a “but.” Arsenal beat Tottenham 5-2 but Adebayor was sent off in the first half. Arsenal beat West Brom 2-0 but that was as a result of two poor refereeing decisions. Arsenal beat Reading 5-2 but they played right into the Gunners hands and so on and so forth.

The truth of the matter is that Arsene Wenger’s side have struggled whenever they have faced a side that presses the ball. This is not a new tactic which the Gunners are facing for the first time this season, yet they appear simply incapable of overcoming it. Whenever the opposition has employed these tactics, the Gunners quickly run out of ideas, lose possession far too easily and fail to create goal scoring opportunities.

Against Southampton, the entire Arsenal team were simply abysmal. Bacary Sagna time and time again made simple mistakes, one of which led to the hosts taking the lead, as the Frenchman’s pathetic attempt at a clearance fell to Gaston Ramirez and the Uruguayan fired home. Further up the field, Arsenal’s midfield just did not work as a cohesive unit. Mikel Arteta is not a player who can dominate a midfield with his sheer physical presence and therefore the fact the Gunners midfield was completely overrun highlighted once more that Wenger needs to sign an out and out defensive midfielder. Santi Cazorla’s passing was poor as was Wilshere’s at times, while Podolski and Oxlade-Chamberlain were largely anonymous. Theo Walcott, deployed up front once more, could not provide Arsenal with any real presence in the final third and Arsenal’s front three just did not create enough movement, leaving the midfield with no options. Consequently the Gunners only had three shots on goal, with only one of those being on target.

The Gunners fortuitous equaliser arrived courtesy of Guly Do Prado, who inadvertently diverted Walcott’s free kick past Artur Boruc. But not even this slice of luck could galvanise Arsenal, with their performance deserving less than the point they secured.

If Wenger does not address the glaring issues which are affecting his side, then the Gunners will simply fall further and further behind in the race for fourth place. Yesterday, Wenger decided to introduce Gervinho to spark Arsenal into life, but the Ivorian only managed to fall over on several occasions. Aaron Ramsey and Giroud were also introduced from the bench, but neither were able to positively influence proceedings, further highlighting the lack of squad depth at the Emirates.

We can only hope that this was one bad performance too many and Wenger has finally seen the error of his ways. The manager indicated after the game that he will be active in the January transfer window. The immediate improvement of this squad is essential, as this is one of the worst teams to ever wear the red and white shirt.