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Arsene Wenger's send-off commenced on a strong note at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday (April 23), when a late brace by Alexandre Lacazette and one goal apiece from Nacho Monreal and Aaron Ramsey sealed a 4-1 victory for Arsenal against West Ham United.
Unlike the eerie silence of the past few weeks, the North London stadium was buzzing again this time around and despite the long hold-off at 1-1 in the game, the fans continued to chant away for their departing manager and his legacy.
It was a dreadful first half from the hosts as they failed to create anything significant going forward and it seemed like David Moyes' team looked comfortable in the middle. However, the fortunes turned in favour of Arsenal in the last chunk of the second half, thanks to certain things falling into place for them.
Here are three things they did right on the day:
#3 Bringing on Aubameyang while keeping Lacazette on
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was left out of the Playing XI on Sunday in a move that showed Wenger's desire to prepare wholly and solely for the impending Europa League against Atletico Madrid later this week.
However, once it was clear that things weren't working out as well for the home side, Wenger decided to bring on the last signing of his Arsenal career on the pitch. Instead of going for his usual A-for-A swap, he decided to keep both Lacazette and Aubameyang on and took off Alex Iwobi for the latter.
The two strikers combined well and suddenly, Arsenal started looking precarious in the final third. Aubameyang's pace on the flanks complemented Lacazette's burly presence at the apex of the attack and thus, chances were created for the home side.
#2 Starting Aaron Ramsey
One thing that can definitely be said about Aaron Ramsey is that despite the multiple and recurring injuries he has had through the years, he takes up the role of the team engine every time he makes a comeback for the North London side.
The Welsh international and a few other first-team players were touted to be rested for the tie against West Ham, pertaining to the Europa League fixture on Thursday. Instead, Wenger chose to go with as full-fledged a squad as he could manage, wanting to get his players in the right rhythm before the massive fixture.
The move worked well, as Ramsey, who looked scrappy in the first 45 minutes of the game, came into his own in the second half. It was his goal from the left flank that gave Arsenal the lead and turned the game in their favour. He will be a vital cog in their performance against the Spanish team on Thursday.
#1 Introducing Ainsley Maitland-Niles
In what would be a significant blow for the Men in Red for the biggest match of their season on Thursday, Mohammad Elneny was taken off on a stretcher with his leg in a cast in the first half of the game.
However, his absence did not prove to be costly for Arsenal in this particular encounter. A young and versatile player, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, was brought into the fold to replace the Egyptian, and did really well to combine with Ramsey and Granit Xhaka in the midfield.
The calmness he has on the ball is one of his biggest strengths, and that helped him greatly in the game,. He held the shape of the attack well helped the team go forward with consistency. Having played at both right back and left back previously, he did well on the defense as well.
