Kevin Whitcher
Looking at the wealth of tickets being offered by season ticket holders on Ticket Exchange yesterday morning, I expected a lot more spaces than there actually were at last night’s match. Sure there were a good number of no shows, but the typical amount for these Champions League group games, maybe 10,000. Some may have chosen to watch Arsenal at home on the box, or even Manchester City’s demolition at the hands of Barcelona. It was a shame as this was one of the more enjoyable nights of recent times, as the Gunners performed with a flourish and scored some delightful goals.
There were four changes to the side. Ospina, Gibbs, Coquelin and the Ox came in for Cech, Monreal, Xhaka and Iwobi. In terms of rotation, fair enough, but Xhaka was not suspended for this game, and with Coquelin playing against Boro and Sunderland in the next ten days and only just back from injury, it might have been more prudent to start Xhaka. Whether the latter would have had as good a game as Le Coq is one for debate.
Arsenal dominated proceedings, demonstrating that for all Michel Platini’s vision of evening things up by having clubs from more countries in the group stage, the sheer difference in the earning capabilities of teams in, for example, England and Bulgaria will generally create these kind of mismatches. It’s a good argument for actually changing the format of the competition. Have a knockout round to whittle things down to 16 teams, and then have a group stage. The games would be far more meaningful.
Anyway, Arsenal’s first goal was a fantastic Alexis chip after he cut back inside the defender. I assume this is to get the ball onto his right foot as when seemingly clear he often cuts back and beats a man he has already outpaced. No matter, the finish was sumptuous. Some hospitality was extended to the visitors with some dodgy defending which allowed them two decent opportunities. Ospina managed to clear up one of those at the risk of giving away a penalty and the other went just wide. Could this be another Monaco, another Anderlecht, another Olympiacos, we wondered? No chance – the home side took control after these aberrations and helped themselves to such a margin of victory that the return match seems to hold few fears. The second goal was a rare thing – Theo shooting on target from outside the box after being found in space by Ozil. Apparently he has eight goals in ten games. Only continuing that ratio for the remainder of the campaign will prove the doubters wrong, and indeed, this could prove the key to the club’s season. We wait and watch.
2-0 at the interval and before a good number had returned to their seats for the second half, the margin had been extended. The ball was pinging around the penalty area and it was a case of the Ox in the Box as the number 15 seized on a simple chance to convert.
The rest of the game was the Mesut Ozil show, doubling the lead with a brilliant hat-trick, two of the goals scored with his right foot. The first saw him outpace a defender, and looking exhausted afterwards (!), to slot home low past the keeper’s left. The last two goals were both set up by sub Lucas Perez who found his team-mate with excellent passes – one from each flank, Ozil’s finishes on both occasions showing real quality.
The issue for the club is now to secure the futures of their two superstar players. This will be the final deal either Sanchez or Ozil sign whilst at their peak. So a big decision for them. I would argue that the money should not be an issue. Arsenal are now at the level where other clubs should not be able to beat them with a stick financially. Sure, they can't afford as many superstars as Real Madrid or Barcelona. But they can afford some. The principle of a socialist wage structure advocated by Arsene Wenger (a man earning £8.3 million a year plus bonuses and I suspect not paying as much as you might think in tax) is not going to retain the likes of Ozil and Sanchez. Nobody likes the obscene amounts footballers earn (except players and their agents) but that is the world we live in.
Certainly, the departure of either Ozil and Sanchez next summer (and they will be sold if they do not sign an extension going on the club’s past record) would not send a message that the club is going places. As with Theo’s form, we wait and watch, but the longer this drags on, the more speculation will grow.
Still, we should enjoy these stars regardless and hope for more entertaining performances like the one against Ludogerets. Arsenal v PSG will probably decide who wins the group, but the Gunners certainly did their goal difference the power of good with a stonking win over the weakest team in the group. Granted, the opposition helped Arsenal look very good, but their finishing last night was top drawer stuff, and a joy to watch.
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