Arsenal appeared in trouble after dropping five points in
their first two games of the young season. Wenger must go chants were ringing
through the virtual hemisphere and “splash the cash” rants as ubiquitous as
Rooney critiques online. Since then, they have won four and drawn one, a
respectable 1-1 draw at PSG in the Champions League. In fact, in the past 10
days, they have beaten a decent Southampton team 2-1, secured a point at PSG,
even as they were arguably outplayed for large portions of the match, crushed
Hull City on the road 4-1 and then cruised to a 4-0 victory over Nottingham
Forest today, with a team largely comprised of reserves.
It has been an impressive stretch, punctuated by the new
hope that comes with the signing of players at the end of August that filled
two necessary positional holes. Mustafi has slotted in well since his arrival,
showing mettle and good positioning while contributing some quality passing
from the back. He has been shaky on a few occasions, but seems like the perfect
replacement for Mertesacker, arguably better in every category at the moment
except height. Perez, after an inauspicious start to his Arsenal career with an
uninspiring start against Southampton (subbed on 66 minutes) and a cameo late
against PSG, came to life in the League Cup today, chipping in two goals and an
assist in an easy win that progressed the Gunners to the final 16 in the only
domestic crown Wenger has failed to campture.
So what has changed? Arsenal have firmed up at the back and
seem to have solved the problems in the deep midfield. The combination of
Xhaka, Coquelin and Elneny give the Gunners a depth in the DM position they
have lacked for many years now. Cazorla has returned and looks as strong as
ever, serving as the fulcrum of not only the attack but the buildup as well.
Sanchez has started strongly after a decline in form in his second season with
the North London squad and even Walcott has chipped in. Iwobi has also
continued to impress, building on his impressive performances during the second
half of last season. Ironically, the Gunners are still suffering through the
first half injuries that seem to consistently
Some thoughts on the
five game unbeaten streak:
1. New Boys Impress:
As argued above, the new signings have largely impressed in their incorporation
into the team so far. Perez has been blooded slowly, but one assumes he will
get more chances after the performance today, even if it did come against
lesser competition. He scored his penalty with poise and accuracy then went on
a solo run past two defenders and the goalkeeper to get his second, while
sending in a pitch perfect pass to assist Ox late on. Xhaka has shown an
impressive range of passing so far, cut off the attack with some acumen and now
chipped in with two long range goals in the past four days. One should not
underestimate this threat, though aberrant with his career to date, as Arsenal
had the fewest shots outside the box of any team in the league last season.
That added threat could push defenders out from camping in the box, providing
more space for their intricate passes. And Mustafi has made a strong case for a
starting berth even when the aging Mertesacker comes back from his long term
injury. On top of these three, the youngster Holding has acquitted himself well
since arriving and is clearly a promising prospect for the future.
2. Sanchez Back on
Track? Alexis Sanchez will never be faulted for lack of effort, but it is clear
that that effort is bearing more fruit in the early season, as it did back in 2014.
He already has four goals and an assist in 6 appearances (one coming off the
bench) and has contributed to several other goals over the first five weeks of
the season. While his best position is arguably still on the left wing, he has
played better through the middle in his last two appearances, and might be
returning to his favored position soon, as Giroud nears full health and Perez
just made his case for another start in the league (though Chelsea might be a
bigger risk than Wenger is willing to take). Assuming he is rested often enough
and avoids any serious injuries, he has the chance to have another great season
with the Gunners, reiterating his position as one of the most exciting wingers
in world football.
3. Papering Over Some
Cracks? While Gooners should be bolstered by the success in recent weeks, it is
important to acknowledge both that the competition has been a step below the
top level, including a PSG team struggling so far this season, and that they
have been assisted by some poor finishing from their opponents over this
stretch – none more that PSG after their early goal. Arsenal are defending
better, no doubt, but oppositional wingers do seem to be getting behind the
defense a little too often for comfort. Monreal has clearly been a level below
his best, Cech has been a little slow getting across goal and even Bellerin,
after his breakout season, looks a little below his best. Where the Gunners are
stronger is through the middle of the defense and in the spine in front of
them. And if they are willing to cede possession on occasion, they can take
full advantage of one of the better counterattacking threats in the league.
4. The Underachievers
So Far: While the new signings, Koscielny, Cazorla, Iwobi and Sanchez have
impressed, some others seem below their best so far. At the top of the list
might be Ozil, who seems sluggish and uninspired so far this season, after a
falloff in production late last season. In five appearances (four starts), he
has a goal and no assists. Sure, the vagaries of the game ensure that even the
best players could go more than a few games without an assist, watching Ozil
play, there appears to be something wrong. He is losing the ball more often
than in the past, failing to get in the pinpoint passes we have become
accustomed to and seems to disappear from the game for alarming stretches of
action. It could just be fatigue after a long season and summer at the Euros,
but one hopes he approaches his best soon, as it is his talent and vision that
is vital to keeping the Gunners attack productive. Both Monreal and Bellerin
have taken a step back as well and need to improve their positional sense given
the number of speedy wingers that now stack the EPL from top to bottom. Theo
Walcott, while chipping in two goals and an assist in five starts, seems to
have taken several steps backward from his best form of a couple of season ago.
It appears, at least to my eyes, like he fears another injury and is quitting
out of too many 50/50s and even chasing down passes when confronted by a charging
defender, as well as missing far too many passes and crosses. Maybe the recent
goal will bolster his confidence and lead to a rennaisance in form, but if not,
there are certainly options to replace them, among them Oxlaide-Chamberlain,
who has been less than impressive himself until today.
5. Looking Forward: Ramsey
and Giroud are days away from returning to first team training, and both will
be important to keeping up the momentum. Ramsey, in particular, after an
impressive Euros, needs to build on that performance to return to the
midfielder of a few seasons ago who was arguably among the best in the world.
Giroud faces more competition today than at any point of his spell with the
club, but still provides an aerial threat and fulcrum of attack that none of
his competitors have been able to match. Mertesacker is still out for another
two months, but his absence might have been a blessing in disguise, forcing
Wenger to pay for a top-quality CB for the long run. Less of the blessing is the
continued absence of Welbeck, gone for at least another four months. His return
for the second half could be huge, though, as it could inject some further
impetus and directness into the attack at the very moment the Gunners have
tended to fade.
Next up for the Gunners is Wenger’s albatross, Chelsea,
though their London rivals have certainly looked less solid defensively in
recent weeks. An early goal for the Gunners could be the difference between
victory and yet another dropped three points. Next they have a run of winnable
fixtures: at Burnley, Swansea and Boro at the Emirates and Sunderland on the
road before the first North London Derby of the season. In between, they host
Basel in the Champions League, before away and return match-ups against
Ludogorets. If they can beat Chelsea, it could be the continuation of a nice run
that could see them move even further up the table. A defeat would not be
deadly, but the moment seems ripe to reverse recent results against the now
Mourinho-less Blues.
No comments:
Post a Comment