Back in action after the international break, Arsenal started in the right direction. An early goal and a goal in the final ten minutes gave Arsenal a 2-1 which helped them jump into the top half of the table. This was a result that no doubt increased the confidence of the entire squad and allowed Wenger and the fans to breathe easy for another day and provided everybody with a little bit of optimism.
Leading by example
Robin van Persie was sensational again, putting the team on his back and scoring both goals in the win. With all the talks surrounding his future Van Persie made sure, with his performance today, that everyone knows where his priorities lie right now. Even though Van Persie has always been at the heart of the Arsenal attack and has shown tremendous skill I think this, provided that he stays healthy, will definitely be his best season in Arsenal and at the moment I think it would be hard to argue otherwise.
Van Persie playing at the level he is right now, is possibly a great example of what a captain, and a leader must do- let his play do all the talking. It was clear to see that the confidence that Van Persie had rubbed off on the rest on the team, and the first half hour was proof of that. Arsenal were playing the way that the fans have grown accustomed to watching week in and week out. A lot of chances were being created in the first half, possibly even enough to finish the game off in the first half.
New faces
From the hand full of new players were brought in to the squad over the transfer only three of them, Per Mertesacker, Gervinho and Mikel Arteta have featured regularly for Arsenal, and rightly so. However, players such as Ju Young Park and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have yet to play on a consistent basis for the first team.
Theo Walcott who generally has played well during his time with Arsenal, has struggled so far this season to make the impact that is expected of him. After seeing Chamberlain’s performances in the Carling Cup and Champions League it is hard to see why Chamberlain is not a part of the squad and replacing Walcott on the right side, even it is temporarily. Chamberlain certainly has shown he has the ability to play, so why not let him have a chance at starting a few games? If nothing else, hopefully it will light a fire under Walcott, and he may go back to being useful for the team.
Consistency is Key
So far this season it seems that whenever Arsenal gain a little bit of momentum and it seems that the worst is behind us, we seem to find ourselves back in the same position after a couple of games. With Champions League coming up on Wednesday against Marseille, this win was certainly a great confidence booster and a lot of positives can be taken out of this game. Even though Arsenal are considered a weakened team now with the departures, it is quite clear that this squad still has a lot of skill, no doubt it would be great to see many of those players take on more responsibilities and take Arsenal to the next level. There were many players that showed what it was they could do, but the real challenge now will be for them to step up and have good performances on a regular basis.
Man of the Match
Arsenal Latest MOTM today has to be Van Persie. Great performance by him, taking on the team’s burden on his shoulder and coming through, which is definitely not an easy task, especially in the Premier League. Here’s hoping that he is able to keep producing at the same level he is now.
Follow Aasim Hashim on twitter @aasimhashim
Latest:
