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Arsenal's Per Mertesacker (L), Petr Cech (C) and Santi Cazorla (R) celebrate win over PalaceEvery football fan will claim their club offers up the most bountiful feast of excitement and surprise throughout the course of a season, but few sides come close to matching the bold disparity an Arsenal supporter will see in their side’s performances from one week to the next.Following a lethargic and mundane display at home to the Hammers last week, the Gunners steered their season back on track with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday. More than anything it was the striking change in attitude within the Arsenal camp that caught the eye as the main difference in the two displays and it’s becoming more and more apparent that there is a certain formula that gets results on the board for the Gunners.From minor tactical tweaks to changes in personnel, it seems the smallest of alterations can turn Arsenal from the defeatist opening day bunch to the group that grinded out victory in the Community Shield against Chelsea. There are five things in particular I have noticed give the team the best chance of obtaining three points which, when thrown into the mixing pot, could make all the difference between a winning Arsenal side and a losing one.
#1 All about that pace
Anyone pretending a remote interest in football over the past decade would have noticed the game has got faster and, in this department, the Premier League betters its foreign counterparts as witnessing the quickest paced matches across the continent. Arsenal’s transition to the Emirates has facilitated the developing speed in the game and when pace is lacking, the Gunners pose little threat foing forwards.
Portraying express pace is last season’s revelation, Hector Bellerin, who I believe makes all the difference in aiding Arsenal’s natural style. The statistics speak for themselves as last season Arsenal had an inferior winning record without the Spaniard (winning just 50% of their matches) than with him (where they won 65%). Now, these percentages may be pernickety, but Bellerin’s speed on and off the ball enable him to not only torment defences across the division, but it also means he can match the darting runs of the EPL’s most fearesome forwards.
While Bellerin’s pace at the back warrants permanent inclusion amid the Arsenal contingent, pace going forwards is equally as crucial. Alexis Sanchez’s return from an extended break on Sunday was well awaited and it was the Chilean’s pace through the middle from the start which was so sorely missed. Özil seemed more alert against Palace and less sluggish with no Reece Oxford to contend with, while Ramsey was deployed in a more advanced role than on the opening day meaning he drove into space more frequently.
Speed is something Wenger has in his armoury in abundance and unlocking energy from his crop is the first component Arsenal need to meet in their quest to derive the winning formula.
#2 Gambling Gunners
Perhaps a rather deceitful heading to opt for as I’m not for a minute suggesting the Gunners should adopt a gung-ho, scattergun approach in every game they play this season, instead I’m saying I believe it was a rather ambitous roll of the dice which guided Arsenal to victory at Palace and fortune favours the brave.
Both goals exhibited glimpses of grit, determination and borderline desperation to impress. Olivier Giroud opened Arsenal’s account for the season with a pin-point scissor kick from Mesut Özil’s cross, which not only showed great self confidence, but also embedded a sense of gambling. Sanchez was just as daring with his header, rising highest above goalscorer Joel Ward to force the Delaney own goal and, while not only putting himself at risk of potential injury, the Chilean’s desire to score in whatever way he could was refereshing.
Digging deep and experimentation are another two factors that get Arsenal victories, whether this be in Wenger’s team selection where we saw Hector Bellerin and Francis Coquelin given run-outs last season that morphed them into first team fixtures, or simply gambles on the pitch such as longer passes or playing a higher line.
The Gunners have created a total of 34 chances across their opening two fixtures, so their average (17) is five higher than last season’s 12 per game. A simple statistic, yes, and one which, at this stage in the season, may be irrelevant but this yet again alerts us to the fact the North-London club are mixing up the way they play, which is what I’m coming on to in my next point...
#3 Boycotting pretty play
Following on from the sprinkle of speed and dose of courage, the next item to toss into the mix is the ability to play scrappy football. I spoke about how Wenger’s men dug deep in the last game and focusing on the basics was something I saw for the first time in Arsenal’s recent history between the middle and end of last season.
Doubling the number scored from set pieces last season (22) compared to the number in the 2013/14 campaign (11), Arsenal are finding alternative routes towards goal which, although not necessarily pretty, are effective.
Another nitty-gritty component to the North-Londoners’ play is being committed with their challenges. A regular concern was the backline's failure to clear danger quickly or employ aggression in their tackles yet, after conceding fewer goals last term (36) than in the previous two seasons, the team are able to shy away from their free-flowing style to a more sustainable and resilient approach. Put into practice against Chelsea a couple of weeks ago in the Community Shield, qualms about Wenger’s side’s displays in big games may be diminishing, especially after the catalogue of thumpings against top four teams were absent from last season’s agenda.
Chelsea map out the perfect blueprint. In a triumphant season the Blues romped to the title, winning the majority of their games by slender margins; something Arsenal should learn from. If your side has a two or three goal lead then defend it! Do not do an Arsenal and continue deploying waves of red shirts forward only to get pegged back and see three points turned into one.
The season ahead will be long and arduous and there’s no way Arsenal can be at their maximum on the attacking front for every minute of every game, so sitting back and holding a lead is something they have to inject into their game more often than not.
#4 Hitting the ground running
While last weekend’s dire start to the season in no way abides by this headline, the way Arsenal began their game on Sunday was impressive and when starting with such eagerness, the Gunners tend to play their best football. Against Palace, Sanchez peppered the Eagles’ goal-mouth on a trio of occasions before Giroud broke the deadlock and this aggressive start set the tone for the game.
Compare this with the opener against West Ham and it was a very tentative start, as Wenger’s side were very meticulous with their passing and there was no Alexis Sanchez to break through the defensive line. As the clock ticked over, having not conceded, Slaven Bilic’s boys grew in confidence and went on to win the game.
The Gunners conceded first in four of their opening six matches last season, highlighting how poor starts are particularly problematic early in the season. Meanwhile, out of Arsenal’s seven league defeats in 2014/15, they conceded first in five of them. So yet again we see the importance of scoring first – mentality has always been a burdening issue within the Arsenal camp and conceding first often results in the group dropping their heads, when most of the time they’d have the attacking armoury to fight back and win the game.
Starting poorly this season, Arsenal’s greatest downfall tends to be leaving themselves with far too much to do. In seasons gone by, we’ve seen incredible strings of results towards the back-end of the season, which mean Wenger’s boys just about edge Champions League qualification, when their ambitions should greater than this and would be if they could have equally strong first and second halves.
#5 Addressing the negatives
Now while it’s crucial the Gunners play their football at high tempo, take risks in-game, do the ugly stuff right and start games well, the final and perhaps most vital ingredient is a little more ambiguous and may be something Mr. Wenger does not want to hear. As a manager, one will naturally defend their group but Arsene comes across as a little too easy on his squad at times and one can only feel that Wenger needs to stop tip-toeing around the obvious and admit his side is lacking in certain departments.
The Summer began with Arsenal being linked with players at the heart of defence, in holding midfield and up top, yet the window’s business so far has culminated in a move for goalkeeper Petr Cech – that’s it. In Wenger’s eyes, bringing in a defensive midfielder would be unjust to Francis Coquelin, when actually an older, more able face by his side would do him the world of good, especially when the likes of Arteta and Flamini have somewhat stagnated.
Moreover, Wenger’s stubborn nature and insistence that Per Mertesacker can handle the pace of the Premier League and that the very raw Gabriel is a suitable replacement for a side supposedly challenging for the title is baffling. Throw these qualms into the mix with Wenger’s long-term refusal to confirm the team is weak defensively and one cannot help but feel Arsenal will not progress until the present faults are addressed.
Before the window ends I’d like to see additions in at least two of the aforementioned positions, as well as a
It sounds tough, but brutality will win you matches and, more importantly, trophies.
