December 14th, 2013
Manchester City 6 – 3 Arsenal
Match Report | Highlights | Arsene’s reaction | My BR piece
This was an entertaining but ridiculous game…
Both sides are renowned for their attractive attacking play, and that manifested in an end-to-end encounter. However, without wanting to go all miserablist and Mourinho-esque about it, to proclaim this game a “great advert for the Premier League†would require overlooking some truly diabolical defensive play.
When you look at clashes between the Premier League’s title-chasers, they are typically cagey, low-scoring games. The stakes are high, and the margins fine. This match, however, was played with all the reckless abandon of a preseason exhibition match.
City will take plenty of plaudits for their stylish swashbuckling, but it’s worth noting that their defending was nearly as bad as ours.
Nearly, but not quite.
Our defending was awful…
This was as bad as it’s been for quite some time. Bear in mind, it’s the first time Arsenal have conceded more than two goals in a game since our opening day defeat to Aston Villa.
The Villa game was something of a freak result, but against City we got the hiding we deserved. I think the last time we defended this badly was probably in the 5-7 farce against Reading last October. This time, however, there’s no Martinez or Djourou to hold up as a scapegoat: to a man, we were poor.
It’s not just the back four who were to blame…
One of the major strengths of the team this season has been the way they’ve defended as a unit.
However, in this match the back four were badly exposed. Arsenal’s midfield simply did not provide the level of protection we have seen since August.
It’s something of a fallacy that the best form of defence is attack, but it’s certainly true that a good form of defence is possession. However, Arsenal didn’t look after the ball sufficiently well today — witness Mesut Ozil’s loose pass that led to City’s crucial third goal.
The timing of the goals was particularly painful…
Conceding an early goal to a set-piece was a huge blow, but at that stage there was plenty of time to claw things back. However, every time Arsenal dragged themselves back in to the game, they turned around and subsequently fired a bullet right in to their own foot. There has been a lot of talk about physical fatigue, but repeatedly conceding just after scoring suggests we’re mentally tired too.
Jack Wilshere should have been one of the fresher players…
However, I thought he was shockingly bad on the day. It was actually quite arresting to see such a technically-gifted player repeatedly give the ball away.
When Flamini was withdrawn in the second half, Wilshere was asked to play the the defensive midfield role. It was something of a disaster.
There’s an understandable desire among Arsenal fans to protect Wilshere: he is a huge prospect and is still recovering from an equally huge lay-off. However, performances like today show just how far he is from getting back to his best.
I’m sorry, Mikel…
Prior to the game, I was one of those who advocated the dropping of Mikel Arteta. Arsene Wenger clearly felt similarly, as he left the Spaniard on the substitutes bench. It was a bold, ruthless selection from Arsene, which I admired — but sometimes gambles fail: Arteta’s positional discipline and intelligent use of the ball were badly missed. I fully expect Arteta to be restored to the side for the Chelsea game.
Olivier Giroud tried manfully…
Considering how little he must have left in the tank, I was impressed by how well Giroud put himself about for most of the game. However, he is now without a goal in five games, and allowed several alluring opportunities to score pass him by. Arsene Wenger was not amused:
One suspects that Sergio Aguero would have snapped up one of the chances Giroud passed up. As good as Giroud can be, Arsenal still have room for improvement alongside or ahead of him.
Of course we were tired…
Before the game, Arsene Wenger insisted he would not blame our heavy fixture schedule. His post-match press conference suggests he’s changed his tune. Several key players looked utterly drained by the 70th minute.
There’s no doubt that City have superior strength in depth. Arsenal have many excellent squad players, but City have no squad players. Almost every footballer in their possession would be good enough to start for them regularly. When they rotate, there is no discernible drop in quality. When we rotate, we play Bendtner.
The one positive was Theo Walcott…
Walcott took both his chances well and showed that he could provide some much-needed support for Olivier Giroud. If he can stay fit he will certainly add a different dimension to our attacking play.
The incident between Ozil and Per wasn’t pretty…
When Ozil neglected to go over and clap the travelling fans, the usually placed Per lost it a bit.
It’s a consequence of frustration on both sides. Ozil was probably embarrassed by the scoreline and his own mistake, and wanted out of there ASAP. Per, as a committed defender, would have been furious to have shipped six goals. I wonder too if he didn’t hold Ozil a little responsible for that misplaced pass when the game was finely balanced at 2-1.
Emotions run high — that’s normal. Hopefully that charged atmosphere can be channeled in a more positive way ahead of our next game.
It’s all about the response…
If Arsenal overcome Chelsea in the next game, much will be forgiven. However, that’s no easy task: Arsene Wenger has never beaten a Jose Mourinho team.
Having been roundly trounced by City, it’s tempting to wonder just how costly that Gerard Deulofeu goal last week might prove to be. Arsenal’s cushion has disappeared and our seat at the top of the table suddenly feels a lot less comfortable.
The stark truth is that Arsenal have lost to each of Manchester United, City and Chelsea this season. Beating the likes of Spurs and Liverpool is one thing, but that titanic trio provide the real acid test. Arsenal will need to win their home games against their closest rivals if they are to stand a chance of lasting the pace.
January 13th, 2013
Laurent Koscielny wrestles Edin Dzeko to the ground
Arsenal 0 – 2 Man City
Match Report | Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
All the talk before this game was of the exorbitant prices fans were asked to pay to watch the match. It felt particularly expensive for Arsenal fans when Laurent Koscielny’s red card effectively ended the contest after 10 minutes.
In fairness, it might not have been much of a game regardless. In his post-match press conference, Arsene Wenger admitted:
“Overall we started too timidly, with not enough authority in a game like that, and we allowed them to dictate from the start. We paid very early from it.â€
It’s a relief to see him be honest and avoid laying all the blame at the door of referee Mike Dean, who I believe got most of the major decisions right. From kick-off City were more purposeful, more organised, and more commanding. They looked like the home team. What happened in the tenth minute simply compounded problems that were already alarmingly evident.
I think Laurent Koscielny is probably Arsenal’s best all-round defender, and yet I wouldn’t have him in the first-team. It’s a paradoxical statement about a bewildering player. For all his excellence, his time in English football has been littered with some major errors, and his decision to bear-hug Edin Dzeko to the ground inside the penalty box was inexplicable and yet entirely in character.
Was it a foul? Certainly. Did it deny a goalscoring opportunity? Yes. Although Tevez ultimately reached the ball, it was only Koscielny’s intervention that prevented Dzeko getting there. If pulling someone’s shirt as the last man forty yards from goal warrants a red card, then rugby tackling someone to the ground six yards out should definitely do the same.
Some fans have suggested that Dean’s decision “ruined the gameâ€. I didn’t hear them making the same point when Emmanuel Adebayor was dismissed in the 17th minute of the North London Derby. We know Dean enjoys the limelight and will gleefully make a big call given the opportunity, but it took Koscielny to be stupid enough to give him that chance. For what it’s worth, I thought Dean did a decent job with a difficult match, and made the correct call with Vincent Kompany’s late dismissal too.
Back to the penalty. I didn’t fancy Dzeko to score the spot-kick at all, and indeed Wojciech Szczesny made the first of several important saves to deny the Bosnian. Without another impressive performance from the Pole, the score could have become humiliating.
The fact we survived the penalty with our clean sheet intact made the way we gave away the two goals all the more infuriating. First the team failed to switch on as City took a quick free-kick and released James Milner to thump brilliantly past Szczesny; then Kieran Gibbs was caught in possession and duly punished as Zabaleta crossed for Dzeko to tap in via another Szczesny save.
City were in complete control of the game, and though the second half introduction of Olivier Giroud gave them the occasional scare, they never looked less than comfortable. The fact they managed nine shots on target as compared with Arsenal’s four tells you that they looked more like adding to their tally than conceding.
I was relieved that the scoreline wasn’t more embarrassing. Arsenal have difficult fixtures to come in this month, and a home humiliation would have been hugely unhelpful.
Afterwards, Arsene Wenger was unusually unguarded about the failings in his team:
“We need to be a bit more confident in this kind of game. We want to do so well that we are a bit up tight. I’m not angry, it’s frustration that you do not see from the start what this team is capable of.â€
We are not, he makes clear, seeing the best of the players we have. Questions must therefore be asked of the man being tasked with coaching, organising and motivating them: Arsene himself.
I’d also query today’s team selection. The manager seems to harbour a desire to reunite Koscielny and Vermaelen for the big games. He tried it against Chelsea back in September, and we combusted. Today produced a similar result.
Theo Walcott got the nod in the central striker’s role, and although it was something of a thankless task today, was entirely unconvincing. Amid rumours of an imminent new deal, a cynic might suggest his performance was that of a man who has now got the golden handshake he’s been after.
I was more immediately concerned by his failure to provide any kind of outlet for our embattled midfield. He never came and showed for the ball in to feet, and was dominated by Kompany and Nastasic throughout. Whenever we created space wide, we neglected to cross as Walcott doesn’t have the capacity to provide any kind of aerial threat.
It’s worth noting that of Walcott’s 14 goals this season, only five have come while playing through the middle. While I’m not convinced that Olivier Giroud is good enough for a side with top four ‘ambitions’, he remains the best centre-forward we have, and should be starting games.
The injury to Mikel Arteta is obviously a blow, but throwing the very rusty Abou Diaby back in after three months out was a strange decision. Leaving him on at the expense of Oxlade-Chamberlain after the sending off was arguably stranger. A red card to a centre-back robs you of one substitution; leaving a barely fit Diaby on effectively robs you of another.
Perhaps Arsene wasn’t fussed, as he knew that Olivier Giroud was the only attacker available on the bench. The unexplained omission of Arshavin and Rosicky meant that of the six outfield substitutes available, three were defenders and one a defensive midfielder. The absence of player capable of coming on and changing the game was palpable, which makes Arsene Wenger’s reluctance to enter the transfer market all the more infuriating.
Asked if Arteta’s injury would prompt him to move to reinforce the squad, he replied:
“To find players of a calibre of Arteta, available in January, I wish you good luck.â€
Cry me a river, Arsene. You had the summer, but you ‘kept your powder dry’. Since then you’ve had four months to identify players to improve the squad. You’ve now had a full two weeks in which you could have actually bought someone; a period in which we’ve failed to qualify in the cup and dropped five league points.  Stop moaning and do your job.
The real positive for Arsenal was the performance of Jack Wilshere. Faced with adversity, he was fearless, bold, and brave. City did their best to kick him out of the game, and he responded time after time with driving runs that represented our only real hope of getting back in to the game.
In a match in which the talented but timid Cazorla was anonymous, Wilshere emerged as our true playmaker. Our true leader.  The class and courage he displayed was reminiscent of one Cesc Fabregas – a player who ultimately left Arsenal because the club failed to build a side befitting of such a unique talent.
If Arsenal and Arsene continue to neglect their responsibility to improve the squad, Jack will go the way of Cesc. And Van Persie, Nasri, Clichy and Song. Jack’s enthusiasm and love for the club was entirely evident against City, but no player is immune from disillusionment.  Years of stagnation and decline will wear that affinity thin.  We’ve seen it before.  Let’s not let history repeat itself.
January 11th, 2013
I don’t know why this blog is called a Transfer Update. Â There are no transfers to update you on, really. Â I’m writing it in the immediate aftermath of reading some truly baffling quotes from Arsene Wenger.
I’ve studied Arsene for more than ten years. Â In the last few seasons, I’ve watched every one of his press conferences. Â I have grown accustomed to his verbal ticks and repetitious rhetoric. Â In recent months, amidst all the familiar traits – the wit, the charm, the searing analytical brain – I have seen a new trait creepy ominously in: doubt.
It used to be that when Arsene spoke about transfers in the press, you could write it off as bluff. Â Bluff, however, is grounded in logic. Arsene’s recent words are those of a man who can’t quite make up his mind.
This very morning, he said:
“In England you are always under pressure to buy. We are still working in the transfer market but we only want exceptional players … Our squad is quite complete already.”
This comes just over a week after he told the media:
“I will be active, yes. Will I be concrete? I hope so. We are looking everywhere.”
The conviction is gone. Â It’s a trend that’s not unfamiliar to those who’ve had to deal with Arsene Wenger in recent months. Â Ask any agent who has spoken to him about a potential signing: his reaction is never more than lukewarm, never without caveats. Â Despite the fact his Arsenal squad continues to to convince, the man solely responsible for recruitment is not sufficiently convinced by anyone outside it.
Meanwhile, through our gloomy transfer window, we watch good players come and go.  We know Arsene admired Demba Ba, but he decided not to move for him based on a fairly spurious belief that he was too similar to the significantly less predatory Olivier Giroud.  Arsenal scouts have watched Wilfried Zaha for months, but it seems the player will be allowed to join Manchester United uncontested.
The consequence for Arsenal is crippling inactivity. Â Arsene sets a bar of “super super quality”, and sets about looking for a player to ease his own apprehensions about entering the market. Â Such a player, of course, does not exist. Â Arsenal procede to do nothing. Â Perhaps, in a final scramble and with need for sheer numbers, they sign a player out of panic who is not good enough. Â They then spend the next few transfer windows struggling to offload this player from their wage bill, hampering their financial potential, and so the cycle continues.
If you know who you want, January is not a complicated time to do a deal: Liverpool went and signed up Daniel Sturridge before the window was even open. Â The club are not prohibited from looking for potential signings in the months between August and December. Â If they haven’t found anyone of the requisite “quality” by now, I have no faith that they will do so in the coming few weeks.
Forgive me if this sounds a little over the top. Â I am merely struggling to understand how an unconvincing draw with Swansea has done so much to erase Arsene’s belief that this team needs reinforcement. Â Our rivals will doubtless continue to improve around us, so we ought to push on and do the same. Â If we don’t, there is a very real risk that we will fail to achieve our basic goal for the season: Champions League qualification.
If our squad is “complete”, then why are Arsenal sixth?
September 24th, 2012
Arsenal outplayed the Champions
Afterwards, Sky said the draw was “a fair result”. I’d go one step further, and say City could feel a little lucky to come away with a point. On their own turf, they were comprehensively outplayed by a majestic Arsenal midfield. Their goal was the result of a set-piece, and whilst Sergio Aguero did have one superb chance to win the game, Arsenal spurned several similarly presentable opportunities.
What was most heartwarming about our performance was that we played with real character. Even after the setback of conceding the opener, we continued to probe away and stick to our footballing principles. The equaliser was something approaching just reward, but had we gone on to nick it City would have little to complain about.
Arsene got his team selection spot on
On paper it was a surprise to see Aaron Ramsey start on the right wing, but he put in his best performance in months to justify his inclusion and validate Arsene’s judgement. We’re also extremely lucky to have a set of centre-backs that enables us to compensate for the loss of a player of the calibre of Thomas Vermaelen without any noticeable drop in quality.
The debate about zonal marking is painfully tedious
When individuals defend well, zonal marking is a very effective system. In fact, there are at least three factors that contributed to Lescott’s opening goal far more than our chosen marking pattern. Those are:
- A great delivery
- A superb header
- A kamikaze lunge from Vito Mannone
I found it intriguing that when City subsequently conceded from a corner, the pundits didn’t embark upon a similar inquest. Perhaps they, like everyone else, was finally bored of it.
Mertesacker’s performance was inch-Perfect
The big German has been unfairly judged throughout his time in England. He looks ungainly, but his intelligence, cool head, and reading of the game are invaluable. Yesterday was probably his best performance in an Arsenal shirt, but it has been coming – his recent form has been superb. Steve Bould and Arsene Wenger were both centre-backs who didn’t rely on pace in their time, and I wonder if that’s part of why they’ve embraced the BFG so wholeheartedly. Hopefully the British media will soon realise they were a little quick to judge this gentle giant.
Carl Jenkinson threatens to become ‘the new Alex Song’
By that, I don’t mean that he’s going to grow bleached dreadlocks and move to Barcelona. I’m referring instead to his rapid progression, from rabbit in headlights to accomplished technical player. Like Song, he is reaping the rewards of a manager’s faith in him, and like Song he is showing a dramatic improvement. Somebody said yesterday that for the first time they could envisage a future in which Jenkinson is our first-choice right-back. As a life-long Gooner, nothing would mean more to him or the fans than for him to prosper. So far, so good.
I’m surprised anyone was surprised by Gervinho’s performance
Granted he had scored three goals in two games, but that didn’t suddenly make him Thierry Henry. Two of those goals were tap-ins, whilst the other was his first against Southampton – when, frankly, he just decided to put his foot through it. On that day, it flashed in to the net. Yesterday, similarly thoughtless efforts were skewed high and wide. I’m afraid he will always be erratic in front of goal. Arsene knows that, but has presumably decided that what he brings to the team outweighs that particular disadvantage. And to be fair, Gervinho did most of his jobs well yesterday, stretching the City defence with his pace and movement. In that regard, you can be certain the Ivorian will give you willing running and a couple of thrilling dribbles. When it comes to finishing, however, I think he’ll always remain an enigma.
A win against Chelsea would round off a great start
Before the City game I told the Arsenal America podcast that four points from City and Chelsea would be a tremendous return. After yesterday’s draw, we’re well on course for that. With a host of new attacking talent, I think that Chelsea will provide us with a sterner examination defensively, but with morale this high and form this impressive we have every chance of going on to best them, and enter October unbeaten.
September 22nd, 2012
Everyone in the media seems to view this game as the true barometer of Arsenal’s potential. Â Yes, they’ve been impressive thus far, but we can only really gauge their prospects after this game against City. Â There’s an element of truth in that: City will be by far the strongest side we’ve faced this season, and the way we equip ourselves against them will determine our capacity to compete at the very top.
However, I do think a caveat is required. Â Just as our results thus far don’t necessarily make us contenders, nor would defeat on Sunday render us useless. Â It’s still very early: Sunday’s result will be indicative, but not definitive.
That said, I think Arsenal should approach this game with confidence. Â We are in a good run, unbeaten this season, and appear to be a little more solid defensively than in previous seasons. Â City are a very good side, but come in to the game on the back of a draw with Stoke and last-gasp defeat in the Bernabeu. Â Their confidence may not be what it was just a week ago.
I expect Arsene to name the same side that faced Montpellier. Â Whilst Olivier Giroud may not be in the best of form, he adds to our physical presence against a very powerful Manchester City side. Â His ability to defend at set pieces may also come in handy.
If you want to hear some more of my thoughts on City, and indeed the win over Montpellier in midweek, why not listen to the latest episode of the Arsenal America podcast? Â No, seriously: why not?
In other news, you’ll all know by now that Jack Wilshere and Emmanuel Frimpong are now both back in full training. Â Whilst Frimpong could be in contention relatively soon, Wilshere is still a good few weeks away, but I have to say that just seeing him able to rejoin training after 14 months made me feel a little emotional. Â For a player who loves the game as much as Jack, being away from the pitch will have been agony. Â Arsene has preached caution, but at the same time has said “it is certain” that he will return to the levels he showed before his injury. Â A mouthwatering prospect.
Another Engishman, Theo Walcott is expected to be left on the bench against City once again. Â When he sat down with the print media yesterday, Arsene was asked directly whether or not the winger’s precarious contract situation has a bearing on team selection. Â He responded:
“I haven’t picked him, it’s true, and it’s quite a good question. I still hope to sign him and the next two months will be vital because, after that, the longer this situation lasts the more difficult it is.
Let’s hope we can find a solution in the next two months but the fact he doesn’t play regularly at the moment is right, but it’s not necessarily linked with his contract situation.”
Our friend over on arseblog says Theo’s agent and the club are further away from an agreement than ever, and that’s easy to believe.  Prior to the closing of the transfer window, the club made it clear that they would be willing to increase Theo’s wage to £75k p/week – an offer that the player refused, despite a tentative ‘sign or be sold’ ultimatum.  Having seen Arsenal buckle and allow Walcott to stay, his agents aren’t likely to back down anytime soon.
The timeline Arsene is drawing up leads ominously to January.  If a new deal hasn’t been finalised by then, surely Walcott will be encouraged to leave early for a knock-down fee of £5m or so.  In the meantime, his situation has seen him fall behind the developing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and a rejuvenated Gervinho in the pecking order.  Until some resolution is found regarding his long-term future, I do not expect that to change.
Walcott could get a rare start in next Wednesday’s league cup tie with Coventry, which would be as good an indicator as any of his fall from grace. Â Until then, all eyes are on the Etihad.
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