Neil A. Fry, Arsenal Audit
As we reach the year-end and look back on the season so far, with the New Year’s Day match marking the Premier League season half-way point, we can happily acknowledge signs of progress - a more experienced and deeper squad and stronger spine; new signing Shkodran Mustafi has added pace to the central defence and there has often been more offensive pace and movement; Monsieur Wenger has adopted modern pressing tactics, the contre-presser, and his patience after moving Alexis to a (false) no 9 position has been well rewarded (which will be examined in Part Two), with the deposed Olivier Giroud providing a more than useful Plan B, usually from the bench. Nevertheless, after Arsenal’s typically poor November return, Arsenal Audit questioned - for far from the first time since 2004 - both the players’ mental strength and Monsieur Wenger’s ability to truly compete in an ever-evolving game. With a new breed of younger elite-level managers now attracted to key rivals, Arsenal’s manager seems as far as ever from getting beyond the comfort zone of a top-four Champions League qualification finish and actually win the Premier League again. Five significant barriers were highlighted – August’s start of the season; November; coping without Santi Cazorla; Monsieur Wenger’s enduring passivity over game management, and substitutions.
As usual, Part One revisits the matches to tidy up loose ends and flag up some prevailing themes for further analysis in Part Two. These include examining several further barriers Monsieur Wenger may need to overcome if he is to look back over the season with genuine satisfaction when he ponders his future reign in the Spring. The articles were submitted for publication before the Bournemouth match.
West Ham United 1–5 Arsenal
Francis Coquelin was paired with Granit Xhaka again for the first time since the draw against Tottenham Hotspur ushered in Arsenal’s traditional November woes. His interception high up the pitch put Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez through to set up a Mesut Özil tap in before the false-9 scored a top-quality hat-trick. The last seemed inspired by his co-conspirator’s winner at Ludogorets, and another a novel and outrageous dummy before he slotted the ball home. Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain continued in the wide positions and the latter added a quick riposte to eventual, after long teases, substitute Andy Carroll’s goal. Oxlade-Chamberlain’s well-hit curling shot from more than 20 yards provided further evidence that Monsieur Wenger’s bizarre prohibition of long shots has been well and truly jettisoned. Along with Ignacio "Nacho" Monreal Eraso on the other flank, he got forward well but both wasted several good positions with poor crosses. Our intrepid Editor made the very good point that there is less of a target without Olivier Giroud (not that Kevin was necessarily clamouring for his return).
FC Basel 1–4 Arsenal
In the last five years, the Swiss champions downed Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in their last three Champions League home matches against Premier League clubs. The loss of players didn’t help their chances of a repeat and former midfielders Granit Xhaka started and Mohamed Naser Elsayed (Elneny) came on as subs as Monsieur Wenger rotated to very good effect. Not for the first time, the six changes came once Alexis and Mesut Özil retained their central roles. With Francis Coquelin suspended, Xhaka was joined by Aaron Ramsey as the ‘2’ who had a steady diligent but unspectacular game succeeding in 54/60 passes, three out of four tackles and eight ball recoveries. The much more influential Xhaka had a pass ratio of 104/111. In marked contrast to Notorious November, Arsenal were fast out of the blocks and pressed well, and two players took full advantage. An excellent Kieran Gibbs continued to press his starting claims and had a hand in three goals. All of them were scored by a very effective fox in the box, Lucas Pérez Martínez, who was moved wide (right) but happily inhabited his natural space created by Alexis’s false-9 movement. Alex Iwobi, having been publicly outed by Monsieur Wenger, Mourhino-style, over his finishing, scored the other with a tap-in care of Mesut Özil putting the ball on a silver salver. The tie was effectively over when Lucas scored his hat-trick goal two minutes after half-time, yet Monsieur waited until the 70th and 73rd minutes to give mainstays Alexis and Mesut Özil much needed rests and ensure they avoided injury.
Having surrendered control of the group, the 10% chance Monsieur Wenger suggested Arsenal had of topping it duly eventuated, and he could proclaim his conscience clear. Others would disagree. It was the first time Arsenal had gone through the group stage unbeaten since their great run to the 2006 Final and the first time they had topped their qualifying group since the 2011-12 season. Then they still went out in Round 16 having lost 4–0 to AC Milan in the first leg (before a trademark near-fightback in the second leg). Arsenal’s reward for first place this time is an even trickier tie - Bayern Munich. There was an element of reward; second place would have drawn Barcelona. Nevertheless, having only just regained top spot from the Bundesliga’s Leicester, RB Leipzig, Bayern aren’t quite the force they were since Carlo Ancelotti took over from Pep Guardiola. Perhaps playing the first leg away may suit Arsenal more than at home, where they have been guilty of a tactical naivety and been picked off later in the match after overcommitting. Nevertheless, Arsenal would need to up their game markedly from the two legs against Paris Saint German, and a number of other woeful European performances over the last few seasons, to have any hope.
Arsenal 3–1 Stoke City
Following the very successful midweek rotation, Monsieur Wenger, true to form, reverted to the West Ham match starting line-up. With his Champions League suspension out the way, Francis Coquelin was reunited with Granit Xhaka as the ‘2’ and, with Santiago Cazorla González out long term, many hoped Monsieur Wenger was warming to the idea of their being the best option – for most matches, certainly Arsenal Audit hoped so. Hector Bellerin returned from injury promptly, replacing the injured Skhodran Mustafi after just 25 minutes and Gabriel Armando de Abreu moved to his natural position. A typical Hector run down the right ended with a perfect cross for Theo Walcott to slot home clinically at the near post for his tenth goal of the season. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain floated a longish ball in and Mesut Özil lobbed a header in over the caught-in-no-man’s-land goalkeeper. Alex Iwobi, emboldened by his midweek goal, finished superbly and provided Arsenal’s Premier League record sixth goal of the season from a substitute. At last Arsenal, if only for a day, accepted an invitation to go top of the Premier League.
Bucking the consensus, Monsieur Wenger thought the decision to award Stoke a penalty after Granit Xhaka’s elbow made contact with Joe Allen was wrong. The worry was that, in the cold light of day, he might reconsider and, in the light of Xhaka’s historic disciplinary record, have further doubts about him. Thankfully, Xhaka was to retain his place midweek and by the final match of the month ‘Coq-Xhaka’ had been the ‘2’ for five successive Premier League matches.
Everton 2–1 Arsenal
Everton, after a bright start to the season under new manager Ronald Koeman, were on a poor run. Arsenal started well, pressed well, and Alexis (with help from Ashley Williams) scored from a free kick outside the box after high presses from Xhaka and then Coquelin, who drew the foul. Arsenal were in control and the Goodison Park crowd quiet. For once this season, the usually diligent Theo Walcott tracked back too late to stop the cross going in and the other full-back headed in unopposed a minute before half-time. In another unfortunate echo of last season, Arsenal had failed to see out the end of a half they were in control of, and the second half was very different. Everton were more physical and went longer, Arsenal’s press evaporated again. Both Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain had quiet matches but weren’t replaced until 71 minutes. But, again, Arsenal were exposed at the back and conceded late in the half. Arsenal were outmuscled up North and starkly exposed. Winter had come. Up North, down South, over the water, and, whether the manager of Everton, Southampton, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven or AZ Alkmaar, Ronald Koeman has a remarkable record against Monsieur Wenger. In 12 matches the Arsenal manager has managed to mastermind just two wins (4-1 v. Alkmaar and 1-0 v. Southampton) and three
Manchester City 2–1 Arsenal
Back on 18 January 2015, Arsenal won 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium. To Arsenal Audit’s great surprise, Monsieur Wenger, having apparently bowed to the concerns of his players, had travelled north with a clear tactical game plan to neutralise the opposition - defend together as a team and strike on the counter-attack. The ‘Coqzorla 2’ was born with Mesut Özil and Theo Walcott staying on the bench.
Hitherto, Monsieur Wenger’s philosophy had been to concentrate on Arsenal‘s own game rather than trouble himself with what the opposition might do – despite often disastrous consequences. Arsenal diligently maintained two deep defensive lines to deny Manchester City space and displayed resolute commitment to beat the in-form Premier League Champions who had won ninr and drawn three of their previous dozen games.
After Pep Guardiola‘s good start with his new club, Manchester City’s home form had seriously waned and the affable and urbane, but hard to please, manager had received much criticism from pundits for his characteristic raft of tactical tinkerings. Added to which, four key players - Kompany, Aguero, Fernandinho and Gundogan -were missing. Monsieur Wenger had a clear tactical plan similar to last time - two lines of 4 and 5 sitting deep inside Arsenal’s half denying the home team space. This time, Alexis was alone up front, not Olivier Giroud. The contre-presser was largely set aside and Petr Čech also seemed to have been instructed to kick long, normally an anathema to the manager. Arsenal Audit’s concern was that with only an occasional press and long goalkeeping kicks the much-maligned Frenchman may be have been more suited as a pressure-releasing outlet and possibly more (a role that also may have been useful at PSG). Just like the Everton match, Arsenal had the best of the first half and were largely in control. This time the lead - care of two lovely soft touches and a good fourth-minute finish from Theo Walcott - wasn’t surrendered just before half-time. It was surrendered just afterwards. During his half-time pep talk. Guardiola tactically readjusted and moved their biggest remaining star player, Kevin De Bruyne, to a central position alongside Silva, and Sterling and Sane were moved to their more natural-footed wings. He explained “we played more without a striker, more like two number 10s to play behind Francis Coquelin and Granit Xhaka, to make the movements outside and inside.” Monsieur Wenger’s response came 20 minutes after the restart - a like-for-like swapping of the two Alex’s (Iwobi with Oxlade-Chamberlain). Super-sub Olivier Giroud was made to wait another ten minutes. Monsieur Wenger’s old flush had been quickly busted once he revealed his hand and he had no tactical answer to his highly-regarded adversary. Arsenal had, in eight days, gone from top to trailing the leaders, Chelsea, by nine points.
Arsenal 1–0 West Bromwich Albion
Monsieur Wenger stuck with much the same team that had lost the last two. Olivier Giroud replaced the newly-injured Theo Walcott and, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain still injured, that ironically meant that, inverting our Editor’s point, Arsenal now had a target man up front but no winger to put the crosses in! In their absence, full-backs Hector Bellerin and the rightfully-recalled Kieran Gibbs got forward well – with the latter excellent (until he went off injured after 70 minutes). Perhaps he may be more suited to the high pressing game? Granit Xhaka, regularly shooting from distance, and Francis Coquelin returned to operating higher up the pitch. West Bromwich Albion were set up with effectively six at the back and a line of three in front. Tony Pulis - in his trademark cap, white trainers and tracksuit - showed that even old dogs can prowl the technical area barking orders. There was plenty of forward movement from Arsenal, but just one first-half shot on target. Monsieur Wenger, elegantly Lanvin-suited, largely confined himself to his Citroen seat, flailing his arms in frustration.
With as-ever admirable honestly, the arsenal.com commentators informed supporters that the 45 to 70-minute period was one in which Arsenal often struggled. There was, however, much more urgency right from the restart and Arsenal had ten more shots on target; eleven was the most of their Premier League season. But Foster played like Forster in goal and continued to frustrate Arsenal. Whereas the website Le Grove has almost become dedicated to the denigration of Francis Coquelin, Arsenal Audit very much believes in his attributes and what he brings to the table. Nevertheless, was there really the need for two holding midfielders in games where much inferior opposition came with the inevitable game plan of parking the bus? The first tactical substitution was Lucas Perez for Alex Iwobi after 70 minutes and last season’s plan B was activated after 75 minutes, as Coquelin was replaced with the more offensively creative Aaron Ramsey, who had two good chances, but again failed to score. Olivier Giroud saved Arsenal again with a fine looping header after out-muscling the defender when a much more influential Mesul Özil floated in a perfect cross. A desperately-needed win was cemented with Arsenal’s last clean sheet since 13 matches ago, in October, against Reading in the EFL Cup.
In Part Two, tomorrow, Arsenal Audit examines the varying contributions of the contractually-uncertain star signings Alexis and Özil; squad rotation; game management; Arsenal’s record against key rivals; and, finally, their seemingly fading Premier League prospects.
References
Koeman vs. Wenger:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/ronald-koeman-arsene-wengers-bogeyman-7295437
