Arsenal’s 125th anniversary celebrations went off spectacularly with many legends gracing the Emirates pitch including George Graham, Ian Wright, the son of Rocky and our own favourite son Thierry Henry. The match that followed looked like it would provide a dampener for the classy and stylish celebrations that preceded it, but one moment of magic from Robin Van Persie made sure that would not happen and that Arsenal celebrated their anniversary in a rather fitting way with a 1-0 victory
Centre-backs Galore
With no fit full-backs to call upon, Djourou continued his run of games at right back with an assured performance and Vermaelen was pushed out to the left. This was probably the wisest choice by Wenger as Vermaelen’s penchant for bombing forward runs and defensive solidity was still utilised effectively. However, it was obvious we were suffering from a natural full-back and the attacking threat the likes of Santos bring the team. Over-reliance on inch perfect through balls to Gervinho and Walcott led to many attacks breaking down, but also carved open many chances due to the high line they employed. Walcott showed why he is not quite ready to be playing through the centre, squaring the ball poorly when he maybe would have been better off shooting.
With news that Santos may be out for longer than first expected (as is the Arsenal way) it’s clear that we may struggle to break down teams with a stronger defensive discipline and City next week will provide a stern test and I would expect the current back four to continue.
Interrupted Flow
Gervinho had another one of ‘those’ days. His runs are a threat but at the moment they usually amount to nothing and his shooting is erratic at best. It’s clear he still needs time to adapt to the speed of this league and when you look at the options on the bench he’s certainly our best option. Walcott played an intelligent game against one of the stronger full-backs in the premiership, Leighton Baines. He corrected his runs after being caught offside around 3 times in the first 10 minutes. Arteta was his usual tidy self, playing passes to feet and setting the tempo with his composure and confidence on the ball.
Surprisingly, our talisman Van Persie cut a frustrating character today. Before his goal he had one chance of note and lost the ball on numerous occasions with a pass completion rate of 55%. His goal, however, wiped that all from memory.
A sumptuous volley from a ball that was coming over the top of him and from an angle, that goal sums up why he’s on 33 goals this calendar year, one away from matching the record of the legendary Henry. Song’s delightful lobbed through ball was further evidence of his progression as a player as it had began to look like we would struggle to break down the stubborn Toffee’s defence.
‘Crisis’ Team
Arsenal have now broken into the top four for the first time this season. For a team that the media labelled in crisis and said we would struggle to get a top four finish, the Gunners have turned this season around fantastically and are showing great form and confidence. The Chelsea game was a corner turned, however the real test now lies ahead with a trip to Man City next week. The win today was a great way to set the team up for it and hopefully our form will continue and take advantage of the extra two days rest. COYG
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