Neil A. Fry, Arsenal Audit
Review of the month
Burnley 0 – 1 Arsenal
With the reversion to the Premier League goalkeeper, the usual first team continued after the wins against FC Basel and Chelsea 4 and 8 days earlier respectively. The style that celebrated Monsieur Wenger’s first 20th match wasn’t to be repeated at his second. For Burnley who downed Liverpool at Turf Moor a week after they put four past Arsenal, and who are usually solid and well organised by manager Sean Dyche, especially at home, provided a dogged test. Monsieur Wenger was initially furious at a short corner being taken, but Laurent Koscielny scored the controversial winner just after injury time had expired. To Burnley fans, and many others, ire the goal was ruled neither offside nor handball. It was unlucky. But, it wasn’t offside as the adjacent substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain didn’t actually make contact with the ball, let alone score. And it wasn’t handball either as it clearly wasn’t a deliberate handball by Koscielny after his hacked and misplaced goal attempt. The quickest of internet searches backs up what was surely common knowledge? But, such efforts seem beyond most studio pundits, even legends who earn millions for their wisdom.
After Shkrodan Mustafi’s excellent shackling of Diego da Silva Costa, Burnley’s similarly physical Welsh international centre-forward, Sam Vokes presented another test of his mettle. Once again he seemed to relish the battle, which unlike against Costa, was more of a one on one. Again conceding two inches in height, a good leap - like Tomas Vermaelin in his prime - and even tempered enjoyment of the Premier League rough and tumble, led him to pass a tricky test with flying colours. His quickness at getting in the challenge was matched by his comfort receiving the ball, passing out of defence and, on occasions, strides forward to set up attacks. Had Monsieur Wenger avoided the needless game of poker over his transfer fee and signed him earlier, he later said that the German international would have been injured in any case for the season opener.
Arsenal 3 – 2 Swansea
The stylish unpicking of Chelsea’s defence in September was the first regular season triumph against the club since the bizarre 5 – 3 win at Stamford Bridge in 2011. But Monsieur Wenger's bogey teams have come in various shapes and sizes: Jose Mourhino, Premier League Old Trafford, The Britannia Stadium and, since their return to the top flight in 2011, Swansea – with Arsenal losing 5, of which 3 were at home, regardless of Swansea’s seemingly ever-changing management.
This time around, Arsenal's first half dominance and again fluent and penetrative offensive game seemed to have them set for a rare comfortable win. Unfortunately, Arsenal reverted to last season's defensive playbook, before they eventually clung on. Granit Xhaka took on the role of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and recklessly gifted away possession deep inside his own half and the discarded Spur Gylfi Sigurdsson, no stranger to a long range shot, fired in with Petr Cech who, not for the first time, looked somewhat static against a shot from distance. Hitherto so excellent, the Koscielney / Mustafi partnership gifted the Swansea attack a series of free headers. The otherwise excellent Alex Iwobi, again left his full back somewhat exposed and Modou Barrow gave Nacho Monreal a torrid time down his flank. Mesut Ozil’s excellent birthday third goal, again assisted by Alexis, should have made the match secure but Arsenal conceded again. 4 minutes after Swansea got back into the match, Granit Xhaka, somewhat unluckily, was awarded his first Arsenal red card and ratcheted up the Emirates tension. His eighth dismissal since 2014, it was only his second straight red. Theo Walcott, moving into space vacated by the false 9, Alexis, scored the first two – ironically with traditional centre-forward poacher goals. And, twice aided by substitute Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and twice denied by the woodwork, missed several more chances to send Arsenal top of the table and take the match ball home to his Hemel Hempstead mansion.
Arsenal 6 – 0 Ludogorets Razgrad
Monsieur Wenger’s pre-match television interview also confirmed that he has learnt more than one new trick. Even against such modest opposition as the Bulgarian champions at home, he continues to have the opposition scouted and no longer recklessly rely on Arsenal’s own game prevailing. Unfortunately, his players didn’t seem to listen and for 40 minutes, the visitors - as he had noted - were as much Brazilian as Bulgarian, and good on the break. They were also so comfortable on the ball, they finished the match with 56% possession – also no longer the manager’s Holy Grail. Nevertheless, Ludogorets were not so sure defensively and were ripped apart by Arsenal’s offensive pace and movement which was supplemented by an energetic high contre-presser. This was bolstered by the rapid return from injury of an impressive Francis Coquelin, who also excelled with his distribution.
Mesut Ozil celebrated his first assist of the season and birthday with his first professional hat-trick. For once, Alexis wasn’t the chief provider, rather it was the excellent substitute Lucas Pérez Martínez crossing from either flank. Alexis did, however, bag the sublime goal of the match with the opener, after looking up and chipping the visitors errant goal keeper. Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goals either side of half time marked the first time that two English players have scored for the Club in the Champions League Europe since October 2000 (Ray Parlour and Lee Dixon against Sparta Prague). Kieron Gibbs had a hand in both goals. Walcott added to the seasons tally of goals from outside the box by powerfully curling one in and Oxlade-Chamberlain calmly slotted in a loose ball. Monsieur Wenger’s modest team rotation will be discussed in part 2.
Arsenal 0 – 0 Middlesbrough
With Arsenal unbeaten since the season opener and on a largely winning and free scoring run, wisely, Monsieur Wenger watchword had continued to be humility. Wisely so with Arsenal running out of steam against a resolute Middlesbrough who, with just 11 goals conceded and 4 defeats also posed an aerial threat. With Santi Carzola’s Achilles injury, Mohamed Elneny got his first Premier League start since the Liverpool debacle – and the pairing with Francis Coquelin didn’t end much more happily. Monsieur Wenger’s now 27 match unbeaten run against newly-promoted clubs a scant consolation present for his 67th birthday. Possession didn’t particularly translate into good chances and Arsenal were indebted to Petr Cech for preserving their unbeaten run with Middlesbrough threatening a number of times on the break.
Absence can make the heart grow fonder. As a Plan B impact substitute, the still injured Olivier Giroud could have made a bigger difference to the well-drilled, compact and aerially comfortable visitors. Or even Jack Wilshere driving forward between the lines! -The AFC Bournemouth loanee completed 90 minutes in the Premier League for the first time in over 2 years. Instead, Monsieur Wenger eventually brought on Lucas and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after 67 and 74 minutes. But statistics suggest that the costliest absence may have been that of Santiago Cazorla González. Santi’s partnership with Francis Coquelin is explored in part 2. It is not one that Arsenal Audit, and many others, thought would still be so central.
Arsenal 2 – 0 Reading
Arsenal reverted to the strong reserve team that comfortably beat Nottingham Forrest in the previous round of the EFL Cup, with the additions of Carl Jenkinson (at last returning from loan and injury), and Alex Iwobi who replaced the unavailable Granit Xhaka and Chuba Akpom (injured). Olivier Giround finally returned from his toe injury, to the bench. Reading put out a stronger team, with old foe Jakob "Jaap" Stam making only 5 changes from the weekend, and provided technically decent opposition on the anniversary of last season’s Sheffield Wednesday debacle. Kieron Gibbs was made Captain for the night – perhaps a reward for both his professionalism in becoming an understudy to Nacho Monreal and good performances when he has been called upon as either a sub or in his starts. At the other end of the scale of both professionalism and (last season) performance is Mathieu Debuchy. Indeed, his exile at the hands of his compatriot has been so complete that the Arsenal Player co-commentator, Jimmy Carter, believed he was no longer at the Club. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain continued his run of better form and his two goals, the first with an excellent diagonal cross-goal shot after driving forwards, and industrious performance were rightly rewarded with man of the match.
Jimmy Carter was a squad player when Arsenal last won the League Cup, in 1993 – their second such win, both under George Graham. A home quarter final against Southampton, who also rotated heavily, offers some hope that Monsieur Wenger might go one step further than the 2011 Birmingham City debacle. But, Jose Mourhino has historically fielded stronger teams than most in order to try and get a trophy in the bag early and with his struggles at Manchester United, thus far, could well do so again.
Sunderland 1 – 4 Arsenal
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got the start his upturn in form deserved, including 3 goals in 3 starts, and with the backing of no less than the Editor too. With Theo Walcott missing with a minor injury the manager didn’t have to choose between the Alex’s. He rewarded the decision by superbly setting up the opener. Last season a 22 pass move would have more often than not been down blind alleys and closes on the road to nowhere. This time it was rewarded with a Premier League record passing sequence before a goal.. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain picked the ball up on the flank and suddenly accelerated past his marker, Duncan Whatmore, with the confidence of his earlier days at the Club, whipped in a ferocious inch perfect Sagnaesque cross and Alexis beat the dozing centre-back and headed unstoppably past the goalkeeper. Alexis’s movement dropping deep that time and time again left the Black Cats chasing their tails. Arsenal’s diminutive false 9 had started the move and pounced after a late run from deep.
Arsenal, however, didn’t reward their dominance with a telling second goal against their woeful winless opponents (who finished the match with the equal worst ever 10 match Premier League start). In shades of last season, Arsenal had a hugel claim for a penalty waved away when Alexis had both his shoulder pulled back and his legs taken from under him. A few minutes later, after 65 minutes, an old Spurs foe, made them well and truly pay the penalty – a hesitant Shkodran Mustafi let Whatmore through to be fouled by the yellow carded goalkeeper, who had wisely kept his arms down. Arsenal Audit Trivia: Whatmore is the son of a life-long Arsenal fan, Ian, a former Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary and now First Civil Service Commissioner, and last year he became only the second Premier League player to graduate with a first-class honours degree.
The much maligned Olivier Giroud, having recovered from his remarkably longstanding toe injury, was promptly introduced. Whilst Monsieur Wenger has repeatedly heralded his ability to overcome adversity, it is unlikely his well-coiffured compatriot envisaged that involved becoming a Plan B squad player. Yet within 7 minutes his first two touches had scored the goals that his colleague’s dominance had deserved: first a lovely first touch sweep into the net from a good Kieron Gibbs cross – starting with Nacho Monreal also not recovering from a minor injury. Then a trade-mark beating his man to the ball and looping header in, after the left-back had won the corner. Alexis also scored a brace after the excellent Gibbs hit the post and he turned in from close range with sublime close skill, after Aeron Ramsey’s fumbled assist. The Welsh star of the Euros came on after 77 minutes, and his eventual return from his season opening injury, and the ups and downs of the British Core generally is discussed in part 2.
The handsomely paid Match of the Day ‘experts’ eventually conceded, after Arsenal supporter protest, that Sergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero wasn’t the only world class striker on view in the programme. What they also omitted to say is that to Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez’s very decent return of 50 goals in 106 games he also boasts many more assists than the Manchester City goal machine, a much greater team ethic and a willingness to press non-stop. Nevertheless, some posters - including Arsenal AUTHENTIC! - still don’t think the internal solution is good enough to be an Arsenal centre-forward.
Sources:
On handball:
http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/laws/football-11-11/law-12---fouls-and-misconduct
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/rules_and_equipment/4524354.stm
Two English UCL goalscorers:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/arsenal-6-ludogorets-0-ozil-210446359.html
Part 2 of the October review tomorrow will look at injuries, rotation, the ‘Coquorla’ pairing, the British core and prospects.
