Youngsters rise to the occassion

BATE Borisov 2-4 Arsenal

Despite poor performances from his reserve team players on the two previous occasions that he had given them a chance to shine this season, Arsene Wenger placed his faith in them once again as he selected an extremely young side for the away trip to BATE Borisov on Thursday night.

The decision to select such a side was largely taken out of the manager’s hands given the fixture list which has placed a great strain on the squad, but it was still a sign of the confidence Wenger has in these players to hand them starting places for a potentially difficult away fixture. The Gunners played against West Brom on Monday night, flew to Belarus for the game on Thursday night and then play at home to Brighton at 12pm on Sunday. However at the final whistle, the Arsenal manager could be rather happy with what he had witnessed from the club’s youngsters.

For the likes of Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock, this was their first taste of European football and given that Borisov have an extremely good record at home and have taken a number of top scalps in recent years, this could not be considered an easy game by any stretch of the imagination.

Yet Arsenal’s youngsters did not display any nerves whatsoever as they flew out of the blocks, racing into an early 3-0 lead. Jack Wilshere, fresh from his impressive League Cup performance against Doncaster, was once again excellent, especially in the first half. The Englishman displayed a series of skills showcasing the fact that he has lost none of his natural ability during his absences with injury, as well as the fact that he now trusts and has confidence in his body. Wilshere’s cushioned first touch, perfectly weighted through balls and supreme vision were a joy to behold and reminiscent of when he first broke into the Arsenal first team. Playing just behind Olivier Giroud, the Englishman was able to combine brilliantly with him, playing neat one-twos to open up the Borisov defence at will, wreaking havoc each and every time.

It was one such move that almost led to the opening goal as Wilshere and Giroud combined brilliantly, with Wilshere showing a burst of pace that was a hallmark of his game during his early years at the club but has long been missing since the injuries began to take their toll. Wilshere’s wonderful through pass found Walcott but unfortunately his effort came crashing back off the post. However Arsenal and Walcott would not need to wait much longer to break the deadlock as Wilshere once again was at the centre of the action. This time popping up on the left hand side of the box before finding Walcott in the middle of the goal with a perfect cross that allowed Walcott to execute the simplest of finishes.

Wilshere’s assist for the first goal was sublime, but the assist for Walcott’s second goal of the night was simply ridiculous as the Borisov goalkeeper’s attempted clearance fell straight to Walcott and although Giroud was screaming for him to play the pass, Walcott put his head down and drove the ball beyond the hapless keeper.

The Gunners were soon three goals up as Rob Holding scored his first goal in an Arsenal shirt, following a corner delivery which was flicked on by Mertesacker and tapped in by the young defender. Having opened his account for the Gunners, Holding was later unfortunate not to double his tally as the ball fell kindly for him from another corner delivery, but he was unable to make clean contact with the ball and his effort hit the post when it otherwise would have nestled into the net. Following a downturn in form and confidence since the start of the new season, Holding put in his best performance to date against Borisov and looked assured and composed in almost everything he did, which will have pleased Wenger immensely.

Ahead of Holding in one of the deep lying midfield positions, Joe Willock also performed admirably, using his athleticism and speed to quickly break down attacks and win back possession for his side. He was also generally composed on the ball and looks to be a bright prospect. In similar fashion Maitland-Niles and Nelson also put in positive displays, providing consistent width for the team from their wing back roles.

It was understandable that Arsenal would tire during the second half and therefore it was imperative that the Gunners went into the half-time break with a comfortable lead. Having surged into a three goal lead, Arsenal’s advantage had been reduced during the first half, thanks to a powerful header by Ivanic which brought some encouragement to the home side and their fans. However after only five minutes of the second period, Olivier Giroud’s penalty, marking his 100th goal for the club, saw the Gunners extend their lead once more and the game was effectively over, despite Borisov scoring a second in the 66th minute.

Ultimately Arsene Wenger’s gamble to rest so many first team players paid off as Arsenal emerged from this fixture unscathed having collected all three points. The added bonus of providing some of the club’s youngsters with valuable experience as well as Wilshere coming through another 90 minutes of football in such impressive fashion will have pleased Wenger just as much as the result. Wenger must surely be contemplating offering Wilshere a new contract already. The Englishman’s ability has never been in any doubt, the only question mark hanging over him is his ability to stay fit. Yet Wenger extended Santi Cazorla’s contract last season despite his long-term injuries of late and in previous years the likes of Thomas Rosicky and Abou Diaby were also handed contract extensions despite their own terrible injury records. It would be a terrible shame if Wilshere were allowed to simply walk away from the club at the end of the year. If he were able to stay fit for a sustained period of time, Wilshere would be more than an adequate replacement for Mesut Ozil should the German leave at the end of his contract. Although there are many uncertainties surrounding the squad, with a number of players having entered the final year of their contract, Wilshere has certainly given Wenger food for thought with his last two performances.