Arsenal went through to the Quarter-Finals of the Carling Cup for the ninth successive season with a 2-1 victory over Bolton. It wasn’t televised anywhere in the world, so the 56,628 or so lucky enough to be in the statdium are, thus far, the sole witnesses to another encouraging victory. If you haven’t seen the game at all, you might have an interest in this audio report I put together in the match’s immediate aftermath.
The team was the expected mix of youth and experience. The headline inclusion was Thomas Vermaelen, though it passed almost without notice that his partner on the night, Sebastien Squillaci, was making his first appearance of the season. Lukasz Fabianski kept goal, with youngsters Ignasi Miquel and Nico Yennaris (a debutant) at full-back. Coquelin and Frimpong patrolled the midfield, with Benayoun, Arshavin and Chamberlain pulling the strings behind Ju-Young Park.
Arshavin had not originally been intended to play, with Tomas Rosicky pencilled for inclusion. However, a slight injury to the Czech midfielder saw the far from slight Arshavin handed his central playmaking role. It would prove to be the game’s crucial factor.
The first half was a relatively quiet affair. Yossi Benayoun flashed one effort over, and on a couple of occasions Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain seemed to try and do too much when released on the right. It wasn’t a poor performance from the young winger, but it was his certainly his least eye-catching in an Arsenal shirt. Perhaps he is feeling the pressure of expectation.
The second half started ominously, with former Gunner Fabrice Muamba side-footing in to the roof of the net to give Bolton the lead. It was at this point, however, that Arsenal’s experienced players began to seize control of the game. Arshavin was the key figure. First he picked up the ball on the right, skipped infield, and fired a fizzing shot in off the far post.
Within three minutes, he’d created the winner, scooting inside from the left before playing in Park in the space that had been created. The Korean’s finish was exquisite, opening his body and bending a first-time shot around the goalkeeper and in to the far corner. Thierry Henry would have been proud.
Afterwards, the manager spoke in glowing terms about Park’s performance:
“He had a very, very good game. His movement was exceptional and his finishing is absolutely fantastic.
He is ready to play in league games.”
Park battled well against two experienced Premier League centre-backs in Gary Cahill and Zat Knight, and considering Marouane Chamakh’s terrible form in front of goal, is bound to get his chance sooner or later.
Arshavin, however, was the undoubted man of the match. There were still errors in his game, but in the final third it’s hard to question his efficacy. However, listening to Arsene post-match, we’re unlikely to see him in his favoured position again anytime soon:
“You cannot play with two wingers and two offensive players like that, you are too short in midfield. He is normally a wide player but he wants to grow in a role behind the striker.”
Whether or not that growth takes place at Arsenal or elsewhere remains to be seen.
Thomas Vermaelen departed with a solid 85 minutes behind him and whispers of a calf strain, but the man himself has taken to Twitter to dispel those fears and confirm his availability for Saturday’s game with Chelsea. With so little match practise behind him, I don’t expect him to start, but simply having him around the squad is a positive boost at the moment.
Tonight I fly to Spain for a week of exile from, among other things, the internet. If I happen to stumble in to a WIFI-furnished cafe I will update while I am there – if not, you’ll have to cope without me for a week. Chins up.
In the end, it was an enjoyable night out – apart from the fact I managed to tumble down about three rows of seating when trying to make a quick escape by hopping over the man in front. If you saw a tall man in a blue hoodie go tumbling with kind of pirouettes and spins more commonly associated with a fouled Cristiano Ronaldo, then I confess that was me.
The spins and flicks from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were far more impressive. After a quiet first 45, he came to life in the second half, thumping home a crucial goal from range as well as terrorising the opposition full-back with some searing sprints to the byline. The difference between Chamberlain and Walcott could not be more clear: the newer addition is much more prepared to drift inside and get involved with build-up play, spraying thirty and forty yard passes effortlessly across the pitch. He’s far less reliant on pace, and possesses far greater technique. Undoubtedly, a huge prospect.
And yet, his Man of the Match award was possibly a little generous: across he ninety minutes, the performance of Francis Coquelin probably warranted recognition. Since arriving in 2008, the holding midfielder has always looked a neat tackler with tidy ball-skills. Yesterday, in a 4-4-2 formation alongside Emmanuel Frimpong, he demonstrated that some time playing at full-back and a spell on loan in Ligue 1 have seen him add power and energy to his game. Yesterday he charged from box-to-box, winning the ball back and using it simply and efficiently. It seems the Old Trafford mauling has not scarred him.
Honourable mentions also go to Kieran Gibbs and Yossi Benayoun, who grabbed their first Arsenal goals, and Ignasi Miquel, who looked far more assured than his experienced defensive partner, Johan Djourou. Lukasz Fabianski, too, won’t have worried compatriot Wojciech Szczesny with an unconvincing display.
Ryo Miyaichi got twenty minutes but didn’t have time to make a notable impression, whilst the game may well once be remembered for the Arsenal debut of the giant Chuks Aneke. Chuks is, in every sense, a huge star at U-18 and now Reserve level, with that exciting combination of technique and tallness that draws inevitable comparisons with Patrick Vieira. He’s more of an attacking player than the Frenchman, and an enormous prospect. He only got a few minutes in stoppage time last night, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we see him again before long.
One senses it could all have been rather different. An early goal would have settled Arsenal nerves and shattered Swansea resolved. We should have had one, too: inside the first minute, an eager and energetic Mikel Arteta hassled his man off the ball and played in Aaron Ramsey, who slipped when put through on goal. Had he kept his feet and his composure, Arsenal might have gone on to record a resounding victory.
Doubtless some would still have complained. There has been much whining about how we failed to put a newly-promoted team to the sword, but I think that shows a lack of respect both for Swansea and our current predicament. Yesterday, all we needed was a win. After shifting eight goals in our last game, a clean sheet would have been nice too. We finsihed with both. To complain would be churlish and naive.
Arsenal started with two debutants. Per Mertesacker partnered Laurent Koscielny in front of Wojciech Szczesny, whilst Mikel Arteta formed a midfield trio with Aaron Ramsey and Emmanuel Frimpong. Gibbs and Sagna supported Arshavin and Walcott on the wings, and Robin van Persie led the line. The substitutes bench contained remaining new boys Park, Santos and Benayoun – Alex Chamberlain was unlucky to miss out after showing some fine form for the England U-21s.
Aside from Ramsey’s early chance, there were other opportunities – Arsenal were generally better in the first half than the second, and on-loan Spurs defender Caulker had to produce a brilliant goal-line clearance to deny Theo Walcott after he had been played in by Arshavin.
It was the Russian who got the goal, in bizarre circumstances. Michel Vorm, who had started his career in English football in fine form, collected a loose ball and went to throw it out to his midfielder. Just as he did so, the improbably named Angel Rangel wandered in to his path. The ball bounced off the defender, leaving the retreating Arshavin to pass the ball in to an abandoned goal. The goal was comical in circumstance but brilliant in execution: a left-footed opportunity from such a narrow angle left Andrey with plenty to do.
It was Arshavin’s first goal at the Emirates since the victory over Barcelona – and his best performance in a long-time. Although nominally playing from the left, he drifted inside to combine with Arteta and Van Persie and looked, for the hour he was on the field, our most dangerous attacker. The aftermath of the Barca game saw us embark on a dreadful run that has stretched across the summer – perhaps this strike can book-end that spell and start us off on a good foot once again.
The second half was tense – Swansea struck the bar with a free-kick, whilst RVP thrashed a fight-footed effort against the post. The Welsh side were playing with nothing to lose, whilst Arsenal’s psychological handbrake was firmly on. In the game’s dying moments, Danny Graham ought to have done better with a volley on the turn from six yards out. The full-time whistle was greeted a sigh of relief rather than a roar of approval.
But we got there. We have our first league win of the season, and the smallest of blocks on which to build. There’s a big week ahead with trips to Dortmund and Blackburn. Positive results then could change the complexion of our season for the better. Like Luke Chadwick after a dose of isotretinoin.
This was an unfamiliar-looking Arsenal team – one still learning to appreciate and take advantage of each other’s patterns of play. I thought Mikel Arteta made a seamless transition in to red-and-white, particularly in the first half, when we was certainly the general of an otherwise inexperienced midfield. How he’ll relish returning to the grand stage of the Champions League on Tuesday.
Per Mertesacker was steady if not spectacular. In the first-half Szczesny had to produce a fantastic stop after Graham beat the big German to a cross, but after that he seemed to settle. His distribution was intelligent, and some of his tackling immaculate. He’s not the quickest, but seems to have the positional awareness to prevent that being a problem.
Yossi Benayoun made it a hatrick of debuts with a thirty minute cameo as a replacement for Andrey Arshavin, and I thought he did really well (video highlights). He’s a dynamic, creative player who isn’t afraid to put in a defensive shift too.
There were aspects of our performance which concerned me, certainly. Emmanuel Frimpong showed that whilst he is undoubtedly promising, he has much to learn in when it comes to his use of the ball. Kieran Gibbs, too, looked unconvincing. Perhaps he was bemused by the comically small but effective Nathan Dyer, or suffering from a lack of support from Arshavin, but Swansea certainly had most joy down his flank.
All that said, come the final whistle, we had what we needed. Dortmund will be a far sterner test, but we’ll be far better prepared with a victory under our belts. Bring on the big boys.
