Arsenal Four Clear at the Top

After hitting the post twice early and holding out against a dangerous attack from Southampton, Arsenal snagged the full three points in the final five minutes to secure a 2-0 win and a four point lead at the top of the table. It was a hard-fought win when the team was not at its best, demonstrating the chops that could lead them toward their first title since the Invincibles era ended, beating the in-form team in the EPL (5 wins and 3 draws in last 8). And the win saw them pick up points on most of their competitors, as Everton and Liverpool played to a scintillating 3-3 draw, Man United again lost a late lead to drop two points to Cardiff City on the road (maybe we should start calling this Moyes’ time) and Tottenham were slaughtered by Man City 0-6.

The scoring for Arsenal started in the 22^nd minute after Southampton goalkeeper Artur Boruc played out an old Laurel and Hardy bit, trying to dribble around Giroud not once but thrice before being robbed of the ball and watching it passed into the net behind him. It was the kind of luck and fortuitous pressing that exemplifies the newfound toughness that secured fourth place last season. The goal followed two near misses, first from Wilshere, who chipped Boruc in the 11^th minute, only to see the ball hit the far post and pop back to the Poland number one. Then an Ozil pass was flicked with a backheel toward goal by Ramsey, only to again be denied by the woodwork. Giroud’s goal seemed to settle the Gunners a little, though Southampton continued to press throughout the rest of the first half and into the second.

As time wore on, Arsenal gained control of the game, passing the ball around neatly and pressing forward, though without the all-important second goal. Theo Walcott came on with 20 minutes left for Cazorla, finally returning from a two-month layoff. Mikel Arteta was subbed out four minutes later, after suffering what appeared to be an ankle problem, with Rosicky adding some flair through the midfield as Wilshere and Ramsey slotted back. With five minutes left in regulation, Jose Fonte pulled at Per Mertesacker on a corner and a penalty was rewarded. Giroud stepped up to complete his brace and the Gunners were on their way to another win. A few thoughts on the game …

1.     At present it looks like Man City and Chelsea are the two biggest competitors for the crown, though Man United could still sneak into the picture if they can gain more consistency. Luckily for Arsenal, Man City has been below average on the road and Chelsea seems like a different team from week to week – though more consistency seems to be slipping in. The Gunners have an important midweek UCL match against Marseille at the Emirates before two winnable games against Cardiff (the giant killers so far) and Hull, before playing Chelsea at home. If we can charge into the new year still in the lead, our confidence should grow.

2.     Szczesny gets better week by week and is now staking claim to being one of the best GKs in the EPL. He had two outstanding saves in the game and seems increasingly solid with his distribution and long balls, cutting out the errors that have hurt Arsenal, and Poland, over the past couple of seasons.

3.     Ozil appears to be in a bit of a funk. While he did create the early opportunity, his play has been below what we saw earlier in the season – losing the ball, coming up short on passes and failing to get into positions to shoot. Rumor has it that he has a virus that has kept him from full fitness, but given our options in the midfield, a rest might do him good. I do think the return of Walcott, and Podolski in about three weeks, should help substantially, as the added speed will allow him the opportunity to send in through balls, but I also wonder if our possession-based game at home isn’t undermining his excellent open field play. Hopefully, he can shine in the next few games against weaker opponents.

4.     Wilshere still has a lot of work to do: I thought Wilshere was better on Saturday, but still made a number of maddening decisions that almost cost us. He only dribbled into double and triple coverage three times, though two resulted in dangerous counters. He still missed some passes and doesn’t clog up the back as well as others. But the early chip and some sumptuous passes throughout might do his confidence a world of good. We shall see.

5.     The increased options across the middle allow for some tactical flexibility, with the Gunners sometimes pushing forward, sometimes playing on the counter and sometimes pressing up the field. There was less of the latter in this game, probably because Southampton can push the ball forward with pace and flourish too well. But the strategy seemed to work well after the opening goal and we retook control of the game when an equalizer seemed more and more likely. But a speedier striker for certain games would really help the squad going forward, giving Giroud the occasional rest and creating more speed across the front three. Let’s hope Wenger takes out the purse again in January; even with his recent statement that Arsenal can win without another striker.

COYG!