Kevin Whitcher
It was a game that Arsenal simply had to win. Given that no subs were used less than 72 hours previously against Chelsea, astonishingly, Arsene Wenger only made one change from Monday evening’s team. That Flamini did not start again seems to have established that his non-selection is not a matter of rotation. Arteta and Ramsey are ahead of him in the pecking order, which will be a bone of contention for many that feel he brings more to the side than, for example, Arteta. When Flamini was first re-signed last summer as what seems to have been a case of Hobson’s Choice, I certainly did not see him as an automatic first team starter. Yet, his contribution since has forced a re-think, although maybe not for the manager. The change from Chelsea was the replacement of Rosicky by Cazorla.
The first half, although dominated by Arsenal, was not without West Ham chances. However, the Gunners should have scored given the amount of danger they created. Olivier Giroud currently looks like he could not score in the proverbial brothel at the moment and one has to wonder if his confidence might be affected by his loss of ability to find a decisive final touch to the number of balls that come flying across the face of goal. The contribution of Sagna from wide in this regard has become significant, and yet it looks like the club will have to find a replacement next summer, a step that should not have been necessary. For whatever reason, an extension has not been secured.
The best chances where players did connect were a gilt edged opportunity put wide by Walcott and a scuffed shot that went well wide from Giroud. Ramsey was having a better match than he has enjoyed of late, and Arsenal at times were cutting Sam Allardyce’s team to shreds, but without any end product. It did seem a case of when the goal would come rather than if.
However, at 0-0, nothing was certain, and just after the interval, so it proved. Szczesny spilled a shot from outside the area and Carlton Cole pounced for a tap-in. The only positive about the goal was the time it was scored – there was plenty of the game remaining for the visitors to put the wrong right. Like the last away match Arsenal played, it was another very open affair, and chances followed at both ends.
In the end, quality, and superior fitness told. Theo Walcott – always an enigma – came good. Anonymous against Chelsea, guilty of missing Arsenal’s best chance in the first half, the number 14 hit a pretty soft shot that rolled past two defenders and a West Ham keeper that – at that moment – brought the spectre of Manuel Almunia to mind. Still, pressure had told and Arsenal were level. By this time, Lukas Podolski was on the pitch for the first time since August, replacing the injured Ramsey. His contribution was telling, raising the question as to why he had not been involved from the bench against Chelsea.
For the second goal, his cross, via a deflection, found Theo in the right place at the right time and a rare headed goal followed. It was a Walcott misplaced pass that led to West Ham’s goal, but he rectified matters with a brace and the conclusion has to be that, for all the frustration he gives, sometimes, he can be a game changer. I have written in the past that he is a Russian Roulette footballer, and nothing has altered that view. On occasion, devastating, on others, a waste of space. But it is the possibility of what he can provide that continues to see him selected.
I watched Ozil a little more closely in this match. Although he drifted in and out of the game, his passing was so tidy. Not only does he establish space for himself, he plays passes that allow his team-mates the luxury of time. I know he has been criticized of late, but the jury has to remain out for a short time yet as he adapts to the English league. But when he, Cazorla and Podolski were all on the pitch at the same time, Arsenal looked ominous. The team still need the addition of a striker to give a realistic alternative to Giroud, although the suspicion is that Arsene Wenger will believe Podolski can fill the role. The team selection over the next three matches may well indicate whether this is in his thoughts. If there is room in the line-up for Podolski, Cazorla and Ozil to start together, there may not be any need to gamble on Walcott turning up. Wenger could play all four if he drops Giroud, and sacrifices a target man. It would take Arsenal a step towards the Barcelona style with a false number 9, although wags might claim the team are already playing with one.
Podolski’s goal showed his quality, a well-controlled finish that confirms this is a player who knows how to take a chance. It made the game safe, Arsenal returned to the top of the table, and remained there after Liverpool lost at Manchester City. It was a huge win, and must now be followed by a further six points against Newcastle and Cardiff. If City do establish a gap ahead of the Gunners, it is difficult to see them clawing it back for the simple reason they are struggling in matches against the teams around them at the top of the table. So they must continue to take maximum points against the lesser sides, such as they did today against West Ham, hope the return of Podolski can push the team on and go on another sequence of winning the matches they should by rights while the opportunity is there.
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