Match report: Fluid Arsenal midfield too much for Liverpool

This game was billed as the first real test of this title-chasing Arsenal side. Prior to today, the Gunners had only faced Tottenham of all teams in the top half of the Premier League table, and if there was one criticism of them it was that they hadn’t yet proved themselves against the league’s best. However, in beating Liverpool and shutting out an on-fire strike duo here, they have given their critics a great deal less to say.

Now 5 points clear at the top of the table and having made it through the first of several tough upcoming fixtures with 3 points, the Gunners have taken a huge step in the right direction while Liverpool were rather brought back to earth with the defeat. 6 points from two games against top half opposition and no goals conceded speaks for itself. There will be bigger challenges to come but there should be few complaints with that record.

After the game, Arsène Wenger was quick to praise his team: “I think our defenders deserve a lot of credit today. We kept Sturridge, Suárez, Coutinho and after that Moses quiet.” To an extent he is right. In the four league matches that Sturridge and Suárez had started together this season before this match, Liverpool had scored 12 goals. The fact that they stopped them adding to that is an admirable feat, but the away team had big chances that they failed to take advantage of, most notable of those when Suárez put the ball wide of Wojciech Szczesny’s left-hand post with Sturridge screaming for him to square it.

It was noteworthy that Wenger pointed to his defence rather than the performance of Mikel Arteta screening the back four. The Spaniard played an important role in making more tackles (7) than any other player on the pitch, but once too often he was exposed as the only holding midfielder. On those occasions Suárez found space between the lines and Liverpool chances resulted, only for the last line of defence to hold firm and restrain the Uruguayan to a below par performance. 3 shots and none on target was a poor return for the striker.

A fluid 4 of in front of Arteta provided great attacking threat but given that it something of a free-for-all regarding positions without the ball – bar Mesut Özil behind the striker – when Liverpool broke at pace problems ensued. But the away side failed to take advantage and were made to pay when Bacary Sagna’s cross found Santi Cazorla who followed up his own post-bound header with a composed and controlled finish.

Liverpool switched to a 4-4-2 at half time, but Arsenal made an extra man in the middle count. Liverpool continuously looked overrun with a central midfield of Gerrard and Lucas rather lacking in agility or pace, and when both got drawn out to the left, Aaron Ramsey found space and had time to set himself before unleashing an unstoppable shot past Simon Mignolet. Only Manchester City (31%) have had a lower proportion of their shots from outside the area this season than Arsenal (38%), and it is a wonder why they shoot from distance so infrequently, given the immense technical ability of their attacking players. Cazorla has shown before how good his shot is, while Ramsey was the man to do so here.

The goal capped another WhoScored man of the match performance from the Welshman, meaning no other Premier League player has more than him this season (3). On top of his goal, Ramsey made 6 tackles and had 112 touches of the ball, constantly involved in the play whilst willing to help out without the ball. What a season it is fast becoming for the youngster, and whilst Wenger played down comparisons between his current star and a former one in Cesc Fabregas, there is nothing to say Ramsey can’t emulate his predecessor in the Arsenal midfield.

When asked as the secret to his side’s impressive defensive record that reads 6 goals conceded in their last 9 Premier League matches, Wenger cited many reasons including the players knowing each other better and being more confident, but one line rang truest of them all: “Overall we are a better team”. He is certainly right about that.