The set-piece nightmares return
Our season had started with a solid defensive foundation. The chief engineer, Steve Bould, trained our men to create a fortress in front of our goal, ensuring we made a decent start to the season. Unfortunately against Chelsea, we got all our measurements wrong and the wall collapsed in a heap. The solid foundation we’d worked so hard to build, looked like a thin sheet of paper as Mata and Torres breached it with such ease, it was embarassing. Two steps forward, and one step back, this was not the result we needed.
The team
I think the selection of Koscielny over Mertesacker was one that raised eyebrows. Unlike the manager we do have the help of Captain Hindsight, however, even with this, it is hard to understand why this change was made. The manager later stated that he believed the combination of Koscielny and Vermaelen would best counteract Chelsea. It was purely a tactical decision. Maybe the manager felt that Mertesacker couldn’t cope with the pace of Chelsea’s young midfield.
Koscielny, while one of our best players last season had a shocker in this game. Mertesacker, who has far and away been our best defender, one who brought a calmness to the back four was given the worst birthday present, a place on the bench. It is harsh, Koscielny has done some great things for us and the manager should expect more from him, but if you analyse both goals, Mertesacker would have easily dealt with both with his height and ability to read the game. Mertesacker probably should have started the game based on form alone. I don’t understand the decision to rest a player who’s in form, whatever the tactical situation may be, it is difficult to justify this change. Although the manager won’t admit it publically, privately I think he knows he got this one wrong.
Stand out performer
As Chelsea packed the midfield, Cazorla, Ramsey and co weren’t allowed to make a big impact. It was both our wingbacks, Gibbs and Jenkinson who shone once again. As frustrating a result this is, this is a major positive to see these guys bomb forward, link up with our forwards and create chances and add another dimension to our game. A few late chances from Podolski and Giroud, as well as the goal from Gervinho were all directly or indirectly as a result of our wingbacks. Jenkinson seemed to link well with Oxlade-Chamberlain on a consistent basis and the same could be said for Gibbs and Podolski. When Cazorla isn’t weaving his magic, we need to make other routes to goal, and given our wingback problems of last season, these boys performance in this game was the silver lining in an otherwise dark cloud.
Areas of concern
Oh dear. All of Steve Bould’s great work undone. Before I state the obvious I’d like to highlight that it was Vermaelen that conceded the two unnecessary free kicks that led to the goals. Both free kicks were conceded from dangerous positions. It is harsh, but it is these little things that count, the challenges were unnecessary, there was no real threat at the time. This is not what we should expect from the captain.
Mannone for the second premier league game in a row left wanting, although to be fair Koscielny did put him off for the second goal. Koscielny’s performance does not need to be emphasised further, after his strong showing last season he needs to do better, the second goal was an awkward one, however it has to be dealt with. More decisiveness and leadership is required in defence. Mertesacker must slot back into the team asap. Koscielny will be back, but right now he isn’t our best centre back at the moment.
Giroud after his great work against Coventry couldn’t slot the ball home after rounding the keeper against Chelsea. He was off balance, but he really needed to score. Very frustrating.
The opposition/Wenger’s Wisdom
At the risk of sounding like a sore loser they really weren’t that great. They didn’t produce any more clear cut chances than us, probably produced less now that I think about it. Wenger sums it up pretty well:
“We played against a good side but they had three shots on goal and the two goals they scored, with my best will I cannot say they were fantastic goals. They are goals you have to stop.”
It was just us conceding two silly goals that gifted them the game. Juan Mata did have a great game though to his credit, and also full credit to Petr Cech, produced a couple of world class saves to deny us an equaliser in the second half.
The numbers game
Chelsea had 3 shots on goal. We had 17. Two of Chelsea’s went in, but only one of ours did.
Our wingbacks really got into the game, with 91 touches by Gibbs and 81 by Jenkinson.
The verdict
With the solid defensive foundation at the start of the season I really thought these sort of comical defensive days were behind us. I really hope this is a one off. It really deflates the team, not to mention the supporters to play well and be positive about the future, only for us to shoot ourselves in the foot.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Haha! Guess this article was written before the game vs Olympiacos; the defensive flaws appeared again last night. Nothing that cannot be guarded against, mind you…but they showed again!
I am not sure everyone keeps missing the obvious point. The change in the Arsenal defence between Man City game and Chelsea game was Vermaelen not Koscielny. Koscielny kept his place. Vermaelen came back and took Per’s place.
Just cos Koscielny made a mistake in the first goal focused people on him rather than the partnership. The real question is what Partnership works best for Arsenal in defence. Right now, my view is that Koscielny and Per are Arsenal’s best central defender individually and Vermaelen is a credible goal threat and best going forward. Positionally, Koscielny and Per are much better. But what is the best partnership? That’s what matters. All three are good defenders but in the wrong partnership, one or both of them will make more mistakes than usual. It seems that both Kos and TV5 make more individual mistakes when paired together.
I believe wenger got d selection totally wrong,why did ramsey start d match,when likes of walcot,ox and arshavin are on d bench.wenger made a mistake along d defence line by benchin mert. 4 kosn.why cant wenger be defence cautious 4 once.when diaby got injuried he will have deployed kosn to d defensive position and bring in mert 4 central back,then remove ramsey 4 walcot nt ox.d midfield will then look like dis during d match-kosn,cazorla,arteta.it will give arteta room to attack or move forward.Wenger does nt try crazy stuffs like mourinho.mourinho can use is central back as defencive midfielder in order to win d match bt wenger will prefer to gamble than winning d match.
But if he doesn’t make it into Arsenal’s XI would Mourinho still be interested in kinepeg him? I mean, assuming Cazorla (and Ox) will take the front of midfield, that’d leave 2 mid slots mainly contended by Sahin, Arteta, Diaby and a recovering Wilshere. And Arteta and Diaby are just not the kind of high-profile players Real would sign (not a comment on the players abilities, but on Real’s dumb signing policy of favoring stars over team players). Perhaps Sahin is the team player we need, maybe that’s why he hasn’t done well in Madrid.Also, in Arsenal he’d surely play in a position that would suit him in Madrid. Sahin will never play AMC in Madrid with the options available for them. Xabi Alonso was overplayed last season and Mourinho has been reluctant to use Sahin in that position too. In Arsenal I see him playing a very similar role. 3 0
So Arsenal had more shots than Chelsea on goal. Ultimately Chelsea won. I would prefer the gunners have fewer shots on goal than oppon ents and win. Winning is what counts.
Bould has said Arsenal are back on track. I would prefer a wat and see attitude. This weekend the gunner face West Ham. Big Sam knows how to play the gunners from his days at Bolton. So don’t be surprisd there will an aerial bombardment led by Carroll. This is where our BG comes in.
Beat the hammers and I will say the gunners are inching along nicely. Until then I will wait.