We’re at the halfway point of one of the dreariest interlull’s in history. Someone, please, wake me up when it’s over.
So far, only Bacary Sagna’s name has been plucked from the tombola of fate to be marked down as ‘injured’, though I expect others will soon join him. Sagna will be absent for the next three weeks, meaning a regular run in the side for Emmanuel Eboue. Some will be pleased: the Frenchman’s form has come in for criticism of late. However, despite a poor display against West Brom and allowing Ashley Cole to sneak in behind him all too easily against Chelsea, Sagna remains one of our better defenders. Eboue hasn’t played regularly in the position for some time, and he will need to furrow his brow and call upon what little powers of concentration he has against the likes of Shakhtar and Man City.
“That’s where I play best, that’s how I was formed. In every age group at youth level, I often played through the middle.
“I’ve been playing out wide for two years with Arsenal but feel more at ease in the centre of the pitch.”
At the risk of sounding pessimistic, I’m sure Nasri will get plenty of opportunities to play there in the future – particularly after next summer, when Barcelona are due to return for Cesc Fabregas.
Another contender for that position would be Jack Wilshere, who after playing for the England U-21s at the back end of last week, has joined up with the senior squad for tomorrow’s game against Montenegro. A competitive appearance for the national team would cap a great start to the season for Jack, who has been voted our Player of the Month for September.
You can check up on all our other internationals here. Vito Mannone kept a clean sheet for the Italy U-21s, which will provide a boost to his dwindling first-team prospects at Arsenal. You can understand his frustration: being fourth-choice goalkeeper at Arsenal is like turning up in Lilliput and failing to make the basketball team.
Instead, Almunia and Fabianski will be left to fit it out. A titanic struggle. An unstoppable force and an immovable object. A clash of honour, dignity, and respect. One, frankly, a bit like this:
A couple of seasons back, I characterised Arsenal – Chelsea games of recent years as being comparable to this video clip:
What’s disappointing, I suppose, is how little that has changed. There was even a predictability about the identity of the man delivering the knockout blow: one Didier Drogba.
Arsene Wenger, among other pundits, has suggested that Arsenal had an “outstanding game”. And yet there’s nothing unfortunate about our defeat. This has happened too many times to be merely ‘unlucky’. Yes, we had plenty of possession, but Chelsea probably knew it would be that way. They knew if they sat deep, defended tight and narrow, that they could win the match by being better in both penalty areas. Their centre-backs just about had the measure of Marouane Chamakh, whilst we have never been, and probably will never be, able to cope with the threat of Drogba, who now has 13 in 13 against us.
There is a lot of talk about us needing to take our chances. The finger of blame is pointed at Laurent Koscielny, who failed to head home our most presentable chance in the game’s opening moments. It was a poor miss, but in isolation it didn’t represent the difference between the two teams. It’s not as if taking the lead in the game would somehow have prevented the defensive sloppiness that allowed Chelsea not only to score twice but miss more enticing opportunities. The gap could have been wider: Nicolas Anelka slotted wide when scoring seemed simpler, and Fabianski twice saved from one-on-one situations.
Yes, Koscielny should have scored, but I’m not going to blame a centre-back for the ‘nil’ next to our name. What Arsenal need to do is make their keep-ball strategy more efficient. Arsene is reportedly obsessed by stats, and has sat in press conferences before defending defeats on the grounds of our possession percentage. It means nothing, however, if it’s not converted in to goals. A better team – a team like Chelsea – can let the other side have the ball in the knowledge that they can go from winning it back to scoring a goal in a matter of seconds. You don’t need a twenty pass move when you can score with three.
The same applies to set pieces too. If you’re a team with a lot of approach play down the flanks, it is inevitable you will win a lot of corners. So work on them. Create varied and dangerous routines. Yesterday, Arsenal had ten corners. Only one provided any serious threat.
This general inefficiency is why I’m a declared fan of Andrey Arshavin. Yes, he gives the ball away more than any other player in our side, but he’s also, in the absence of the much-missed Cesc Fabregas, the most productive in the final third. Yesterday, he produced two stinging efforts which brought the best out of Petr Cech, from nothing.
Of course you can only use those kind of rapier counter-attacks if you can defend. The Arsenal of 97/98 had the likes of Adams and Keown to hold the fort whilst Nicolas Anelka sprung the offside trap to clinical effect. The Invincibles had a back four including Sol Campbell in his prime and protected by Vieira and Gilberto, two masters of their trade. This side does not have a good enough defence to play in that way. We have to control the game using keep-ball and create chances against tight, packed defences. Against almost every side in the Premier League, that’s good enough. But not Chelsea.
There’s no shame in losing this game. When you go away to the Champions, there’s a significant chance you will get beat. This result is only a problem in the context of others. Had we beaten West Brom, we’d be just four points off the top as opposed to seven, and table would make much prettier reading.
Already, just seven games in to the season, there’s little margin for error. Crucially, we need to start beating the bigger teams. If we are to provide a serious threat in the league this season, I’d suggest we will have to beat both United and Chelsea – and possibly City – at the Emirates.
International breaks always get me down. Going in to one on the back of two defeats is particularly depressing. Happy Monday this ain’t.
Hello all. Given the lack of time to write a proper preview, I fired a few questions at my Chelsea-supporting brother to see what they’re saying on the other side of the fence.
Give it a read, and enjoy the game. Come On You Gunners.
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Does Chelsea’s defeat at Man City suggest that up until that point they’d had easy fixtures?
I don’t think so. Against City we were poor, they were tactically astute and that is why we lost. It had nothing to do with the preceding league games. Our start to the season has been easy on paper, but the manner in which we’ve performed has been impressive all the same. We’ve not been grinding out wins, but winning in style. You only need to look at Real Madrid’s form in La Liga to see that an apparently easy start does not always result in a 100% record and goals.
What have you made of Arsenal’s start to the season?
I’ve been very impressed. The performances at Blackburn and Sunderland were steely, perhaps grittier than what we’ve come to expect of Arsenal in recent years. The draw with the latter looks a far better result after United’s performance there on Saturday. At home I expect the goals to fly in, with the W.B.A result being an anomaly in a good home record come the end of the season. Chamakh was a massive signing. He enables the team to play in different ways. The only other forward capable of scoring with his head for Arsenal in the last 10 years was Adebayor. Wilshere is like a new signing. Rosicky was great at Ewood Park and will be handy if he stays fit. People often expect Arsenal to fall away around March-time, but there are long-term absentees yet to return: Ramsey, Bendtner, van Persie… I don’t think Arsenal should settle for 3rd this year. They need to mount a proper challenge with a view to winning the league next season.
Who are Chelsea’s men in form?
Sagna will have his work cut out today. Cole and Malouda fly up that left wing all day and their confidence is sky-high. Mikel is playing his best football since Scolari but still has a way to go. Essien looks like he’s never been away and has got a real hunger about him. He’s getting forward more and looking dangerous.
Anyone out of form?
Our defence has not really been tested this season. Ivanovic and Alex have both missed games and you never really know how fit John Terry is. We defended very well in this respective fixture last year – narrow and deep – and we’ll have to do the same today.
Who will miss their injured players more?
There’s no doubt that Arsenal have the worse injury problems. Almunia, Vermaelen, Fabregas, Walcott and van Persie constitute the heart of the Arsenal team. If you take that into account, you’ve coped very well without them. I think you’ve grown accustomed to Walcott and van Persie’s absences, but the loss of Cesc is a real blow. Squillaci and Koscielny will have to play like they did at Sunderland if you’re to have a chance. For our part, no-one seems willing to step up and stake a claim for the spot usually reserved for Frank Lampard. Ramires’ form has been patchy and he looked out of sorts at Man City, whereas Zhirkov was poor against Newcastle but better on Tuesday. I anticipate the Russian being included today, giving us a nice balance of three left-sided players on that flank.
Who do you expect to be the key players on each side?
Nasri is getting better and better. The onus on him to pull the strings is massive when Cesc is away but he’s playing well. Wilshere has looked brilliant but I’ve a sneaky feeling he’ll be left out today, with Diaby’s height edging him out for the first hour at least. Arshavin’s been amongst the goals, and Chamakh is a different proposition who does not offer defences any respite. However, it’s pretty much a given that the result will hinge on the Arsenal defence’s handling of Drogba. You feel that if Drogba scores, Chelsea will win.
Prediction?
I have to say I fancy us. I’ll go for 1-0, though with United taking 2 points from 6 I don’t think either side should be too disappointed with a draw.
