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Holders Arsenal managed to secure a place in the Fourth Round draw of the FA Cup by defeating Sunderland 3-1 at the Emirates on Saturday evening. The Gunners were given a shock when Sunderland midfielder Jeremain Lens snatched the ball from Koscielny’s feet and scored early on.But Arsenal replied through Joel Campbell who was found in front of goal by Theo Walcott. Two goals in quick succession in the second half from substitute Aaron Ramsey and striker Olivier Giroud put the Gunners on their way to a 14th consecutive FA Cup match win.Here are the major talking points from the game at the Emirates:
#1 Oxlade-Chamberlain needs to pass the ball
Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was again in the starting XI when the Gunners took the field on Saturday. This was exactly the kind of game that he should be grabbing by the scruff of the neck and in the process staking a claim for a regular first-team spot. He was given the more central defensive midfield role by Wenger as Walcott and Campbell started along with Iwobi in the middle.
The criticism of the young Englishman has to be the opportunities he wastes when he does not pass the ball when his teammates are free and in space. On three or four occasions in the game, Chamberlain ran with the ball and did not pass, only for him to be losing out to the Sunderland players. However, as his curling effort came back off the post, the fans would have asked why does he not shoot more often instead of just running with the ball.
Only this season Wenger urged the midfielder to play with more freedom, saying ‘sometimes he is too critical of himself’. Oxlade is indeed too harsh on himself, swinging his arms in frustration with every wrong decision or mistake, but at the same time, he does need to improve if he is to fulfil his unquestionable potential or even prove himself worthy of a starting berth for England at Euro 2016.
#2 Introducing Jordan Pickford
When the Sunderland teamsheet was out, there was one unfamiliar name in the starting XI and that was of a certain Jordan Pickford who was picked ahead of both Pantilimon and Vito Manone by manager Sam Allardyce. The highly-rated under-21 was called into action after just ten minutes to keep out Kieran Gibbs who had come steaming in from the left.
The shot-stopper showed why his manager has praised him and brought him back from loan directly into the first team. Even though he ended up conceding three goals against a quality Arsenal side, the Englishman should be proud of his performance. Pickford defied Theo Walcott near the half-hour mark as the striker sent in a piledriver.
The goalkeeper also held Iwobi’s free-kick well three minutes after the half-time interval and he did superbly to keep out Joel Campbell after the forward had played a one-two with Olivier Giroud to burst into the box.
His final save, to push the ball over the bar from Giroud’s header, showed what he is all about. It is just a shame he had such a poor defence to perform behind. Pickford is an England Under-21 international expected to follow in the footsteps of Joe Hart and it is easy to see why. He is confident, capable and he will have learned a lot from his debut.
#3 Arsenal have been more professional
Arsene Wenger had pointed out beforehand that he will not take the FA Cup lightly and even though he made five changes from the team which beat Newcastle United in the Premier League last weekend, Wenger picked a strong starting XI with a mixture of youth and experience. He has won this competition six times so his commitment to the competition should never really be questioned.
Petr Cech, Koscielny, Walcott, Giroud, Bellerin and Oxlade-Chamberlain were all in the starting line-up. The ones to come into the side included Gabriel, Chambers, Campbell, Iwobi, and Gibbs. Mesut Ozil was rested for the tie as they visit Liverpool in midweek.
But what was noticeable in the performance was the way Arsenal went about their business. A persistent feature of Arsene Wenger’s reign has been his side’s trouble against teams playing the kind of direct football the Frenchman would never himself propagate.
Allardyce’s Sunderland do not play like Allardyce’s Bolton or Blackburn but they do try to get the ball forward quickly and put crosses into the box. They posed a threat and might well have got something from the game, but Arsenal scrapped, hit back and eventually took the tie away from their opponents. An Arsenal of old might well have crumbled but this professional side got the win and kept attacking even with a two-goal cushion.
#4 More misery for Sunderland
The visitors took the lead through Lens, and gave away an entirely avoidable equaliser. Then they blew the chance to go ahead again and finally collapsed in the final third of the match. The Black Cats started the game on the upper hand at the home of Arsenal, but individual errors and unassured defending caused them to lose. This loss, which puts them out of the FA Cup as well, piles more pressure on them.
Sam Allardyce has been looking out for defenders in the transfer market, and Jan Kirchhoff should provide some assurance but none of Sunderland’s defenders look like a proper defender at the moment and the Black Cats are a team that falls to pieces at the slightest hint of a setback.
But one positive from the game was the performance of their midfielder Jeremain Lens. Having played European football with PSV and Dynamo Kiev, Lens was expected in some quarters to move to a more high-profile team than Sunderland last summer. However, he has lost his place in the starting line-up under Sam Allardyce.
The manager has stated that if Lens gets an opportunity he will have to grab it. The winger had been waiting patiently for that chance and he got one against Arsenal. He made the most of it with a goal and some good defensive play as well. He clearly has the ability and it seems he also has the attitude to match it.
#5 Hector Bellerin is the best fullback
Hector Bellerin had a terrific game in the Arsenal shirt. He was the man of the match for his two assists and brilliant defending. In the first half, the youngster was pinned back by the constant Sunderland pressure and could not find the proper space to get forward and assist in attack. But the Spaniard showed his quality as he came out with two assists in the second half from two trademark overlapping runs.
With another fine performance, the Arsenal right-back is staking a claim as the best fullback in the division and probably the country. He dealt well with the threat of Patrick van Aanholt going forward and in defence as well. As the game wore on and spaces opened up in the Sunderland defence, Aaron Ramsey appeared from the bench and made a telling difference, but it was right-back Hector Bellerin that hurt Sunderland most.
He has a wonderful touch and vision to go with searing pace and he provided both assists as the hosts moved two goals clear. In the absence of the rested Mesut Ozil, Arsenal lacked creative spark with Theo Walcott and Alex Iwobi toiling. Bellerin stepped up and ultimately he was the reason this game did not go to a replay. Arsene Wenger is producing another top-class player in the form of Hector Bellerin.
