Kevin Whitcher
Okay, first up a special offer marking yesterday’s game. You can buy the current issue (with exclusive material unavailable elsewhere) by post ‘Four-One’ pound rather than the standard £2.50. Ok, there is a little postage on top, but you’d be charged this anyway and you’re still getting the issue a damned sight cheaper than normal. The offer runs until the end of today (Sunday). Details here.
And so to yesterday’s game, which put Arsenal two points clear at the top of the league after Liverpool drew at Newcastle. The Gunners continued with the habit of taking maximum points from matches where they should be expected to show their superiority. About once every season, I repeat the words of Tony Adams that if you can beat the bottom ten teams home and away you will win the league – because that is sixty points in the bag. So apologies for the repetition, but it is such a fundamental truth. And dropping cheap points certainly hurts. If a team avoids it, they can actually afford some disappointment in the games against their main rivals. The next league fixture is Palace away which Wenger’s team will go into full of confidence after today. It would be a major shock if they failed to win.
As for Norwich, they have made life difficult in recent seasons for Arsenal. And they had a spell either side of half-time when they certainly asked some questions, but failed to take the opportunity to equalise. It was a spell the home side weathered, but a bit of me wondered if the loss of Flamini due to injury affected the Gunners. Dare I say he has become integral? Szczesny had to pull off some decent saves to continue the good form he has shown in recent weeks. Fortunately Mesut Ozil scored with a guided header to put two goals between the sides before the Canaries finally found the net.
As for the goals, what can be said except that they were up there with the best football seen in Wenger’s years. It was ironic that Robert Pires was the subject of the half-time on pitch interview. Ozil makes such a difference to the play with his quality of touch, but it is becoming infectious, with the one-touch football of the opening goal between Giroud and Wilshere looking like it had been fashioned at the Nou Camp. The re-introduction of Cazorla to the starting line-up added extra threat, although he was withdrawn relatively early with Tuesday’s Champions League game in mind. That, incidentally, should be an absolute cracker.
Ozil’s header to make it 2-0 showed why Germany were able to play him as the front man in their World Cup qualifier against the Republic. He is an intelligent footballer able to adapt. He’s done no harm at all to the forward line’s fluidity and is very difficult to mark as a consequence. Aaron Ramsey is the standout player of the season, in the Premier League as well as at Arsenal and some of his attacking play after replacing Flamini was evidence of the importance of confidence to a player. A year ago he was passing to the opposition and couldn’t hit the target for love nor money, but after being started in his correct position for a decent run of games, he has reminded us of the qualities that made him an expensive teenage signing. Goals from midfield are key to a title challenge, and the Welshman is delivering in spades. His dribble to make it 3-1 marked the end of Norwich’s resistance. There was still time for he and Ozil to combine for an excellent fourth which reminded us of the excellence of the number 11’s first touch.
Certainly, something’s changed at the club. My critics often deride me for not giving the manager any credit, but a few things have happened that demonstrate he has dropped the stubborn approach that held Arsenal back in its first few years at the new stadium, so credit to him for the changes. I would summarize these, in no particular order, as…
1. The players having a different attitude when they are not in possession of the ball.
2. Wenger’s willingness to field a midfield player more intent on stopping the opposition than doing anything creative.
3. The addition of a world class player and the willingness to spend the market rate to acquire him.
4. The realisation that the blend of youth and experience was not right and that more experience was needed to bring the best out of the youth.
5. Not being afraid to drop favourites when form demanded it.
6. Acknowledging the importance of results over the style of football when circumstances dictated.
7. Less complacency when facing supposedly weaker teams at home.
8. The shedding of individuals more interested in picking up their pay packet than points, creating a more focussed group of players.
As a consequence, Arsenal have improved as a unit capable of winning or at the very least not losing matches. The Napoli game demonstrated they have the potential to move up the gears when faced with superior opposition, and with matches against Borussia Dortmund (twice), Liverpool and Manchester United before the next international break, fans will get the opportunity to see if this can be continued. And of course, Arsenal will suffer defeat at some point. They bounced back after the pain of the loss to Villa, and one hopes that the historical psychological damage past defeats have had on Wenger teams that have been on a good run is now a thing of memory.
Hell, even Nicklas Bendtner is starting to look like a decent striker when he gets some minutes on the pitch.
Good times to be a Gooner. Naturally, it is too early to start thinking of silverware, but this is a hugely enjoyable period and the feelgood factor in the stadium is a pleasure to experience. This observer is really looking forward to a cracking game on Tuesday night against a top team managed by a man who has effectively done what Arsene Wenger could not manage in recent years – build a team on the cheap and triumph over a richer rival. In mitigation, Jurgen Klopp only had Bayern Munich to see off. Arsenal had two obstacles to glory, and then Manchester City came along. Still, if Arsene Wenger did fancy the mooted PSG overtures next summer, I could think of worse successors than the Dortmund manager.
The current issue of The Gooner (with exclusive material unavailable elsewhere) will be on sale as you approach the stadium for Tuesday evening’s game against Dortmund. It can also be posted to you should you wish to buy it online here.
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