Arsene Wenger could be accused of not getting the balance or approach to some games quite right this season and it has cost points. He has persisted with the same approach and formation, as well as personal, injuries permitting, even though the opposition have many different approaches. Players like Jack Wilshere for example and Santi Cazorla have been played out of position to accommodate them at times with the balance being adversely affected. Yesterday’s game versus Newcastle required a change in formation largely due to injuries to key players but the effect was positive and effective.

Perhaps the Stoke game has shaken the team up a bit but they all played well and their finishing was good which is key but the formation helped as it played to the team’s current strengths. The best team available to him was played as close to their best positions as possible. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a very versatile player who played centrally against Galatasaray and on the flank today. In both roles he is equally effective with his drive and work rate. 

Although it was a very offensive looking line-up it required the team to work hard in all areas of the park today and the team did not disappoint in that area, as they did last weekend. By focusing initially on hard work and pressing, fighting for every ball ahead of the opposition, they showed that they wanted it more than Newcastle did. The balance between playing fancy attractive football and hard work was much better than previously in the season.

The previous obsession with a holding midfield player to protect the back four is dangerous when there is no such player at the club. By setting the team up the way Arsene did today the defence were more aware of the lack of protection so needed to be more defensively focused themselves. The whole team, therefore, have more responsibility to protect the defence when necessary while still having enough attacking options to take care of the offensive side of the game.

It helped that the finishing was much better today and Giroud’s effect on the team, with his hold up play and strength, is invaluable as well as his finishing on the day. Perhaps his return from injury will have the galvanising effect that it seemed to have last year in all the games except the ones against the stronger sides. In those games Arsene needs to think differently as his normal approach does not work.

Perhaps the motivation of the terrible display in the first half against Stoke has motivated the team naturally and resting key players in the week has meant they were fresh for today’s game but there are many positive signs if Arsenal can modify their approach to suit the opposition when necessary and focus more on getting the right balance in the team instead of playing the same individuals all the time. They have a big squad of players now and the same players don’t need to play every week so Arsene needs to continue to rotate his players, and even his formations to suit the particular game.

It helped that the whole team were much more motivated from the start this time, though, with Hector Bellerin playing his best game for Arsenal so far and very few unforced errors were made, but everyone seemed comfortable in their positions including Matthieu Debuchy at centre-back for the first time, but there will be much harder tests than this one to determine if the tide has finally turned this season so let’s see if Arsenal can keep up the good work from the last two games and prove the doubters wrong.