Gibbs makes quiet, consistent improvement

In the summer of 2010 Arsenal and Real Madrid were at an advanced stage of negotiation over the transfer of Gael Clichy to the Spanish giants.

In the end the transfer didn't happen, with some suggestion that the arrival of Jose Mourinho, and Arsene Wenger's complicated relationship with him, put paid to the deal. But the reason the Arsenal manager was willing to let Clichy go, even at that stage, was Kieran Gibbs.

As it turned out, Gibbs recurring injury problems meant it was probably the right thing for the club to hold on to Clichy, and even last season, after the Frenchman's departure, the young Englishman couldn't take advantage because of an ongoing stomach muscle problem. He shared duties with new signing Andre Santos and it was hard to see quite where either stood in the pecking order.

This season Arsene Wenger plumped for the Englishman ahead of the more cavalier Brazilian from the start and has been rewarded for it. While plaudits are rightly given to Carl Jenkinson for his improvement, and the spotlight shines on the creativity of Santi Cazorla and others at the top end of the pitch, Gibbs contribution has gone more or less unheralded.

There were concerns that he wasn't developing defensively as quickly as he should. A quite brilliant last-ditch tackle in injury time at West Brom on the final day of the season more or less assured Arsenal's Champions League qualification, but perhaps better positional sense might have rendered the challenge less desperate.

He has been aided, obviously, by a run of games and until he went off against West Ham with a thigh strain, had played every minute of every league game this season. It might be counter-intuitive to talk about his fitness in light of that, but he appears more physically robust, something Arsene Wenger recently noted.

"Gael Clichy had the same problem. He went through a long period of injury and after that he stabilised physically. That's what Kieran is doing at the moment. I am very happy with his performances because in every game he gets stronger."

It's not exactly rocket science to suggest a run of games will increase a player's confidence and performance level, but Gibbs appears to have become more disciplined in his defensive work. Although he's been given a licence to get forward and attack, he's rarely caught out of position the way he was previously.

In his seven league games (bearing in mind he came off early against West Ham), he has made an impressive 22 interceptions, hinting at a greater understanding of his position and is a testament to his quickness of the mark and reading of the game. He's also successfully made 21 tackles out of 27 attempted, quite an improvement for a player who has struggled with direct opponents at times.

We can, of course, chalk some of this down to experience. It's natural for players to improve as they get older and play more, but Gibbs has gone about it with a minimum of fuss and little or no fanfare. His England call up was well deserved and with Ashley Cole (31) hardly one for the future he can set his sights on plenty of England caps as well as a good scrap with Leighton Baines for the left-back position.

Arsene Wenger's faith in his footballing ability has been rewarded, and if his fitness continues to improve in the same way he should cement his position as first choice at Arsenal for seasons to come.

Source: Andrew Mangan, ESPN Soccernet on 10 Oct 12

Mikel Arteta: The artful grafter

As another tedious international break begins, a significant number of the Arsenal squad are jetting off around the world for friendlies and qualifiers. Most are important first-teamers, and injury to them could be damaging to Arsenal's season. However, there is one key man who will be able to take a well-deserved break after an impressive and vital start to the season.

Mikel Arteta has become the holding midfielder that Arsenal fans have craved for since the summer of 2008 when Mathieu Flamini and Gilberto Silva left the club. Denilson and Alex Song have had stints in the role with varying success, but Arteta has comfortably eclipsed both of them.

Many were worried that the sale of Alex Song in the summer would damage the team more than the loss of Robin van Persie but, although Song was a good player, he wasn't overly disciplined as the holding midfielder, often leaving the Arsenal back four exposed. He did provide some spectacular assists, but his overall game wasn't as strong as Arteta's has been this season. A glance at some statistics backs this up.

The primary role of the holding midfielder is to break up opposition attacks to protect the defence and, last season in the Premier League, Alex Song averaged 1.6 interceptions and 2.9 tackles a match whereas Arteta has averaged 2.4 interceptions and 4.6 tackles a match this season. Considering that Song made less tackles, he still conceded the same number of fouls per game as Arteta. Too many of Song's challenges were bad enough to get booked, with the Cameroonian getting roughly one yellow card in every three games last season, but Arteta only has one in seven this season.

Arteta's impressive defensive statistics stem from actually being in position to make the tackles and interceptions. All Arsenal fans like the fact Arsene Wenger gives youngsters a chance, but Song was still learning his trade and couldn't read the game as well. The more experienced Mikel Arteta is a master at it. He was signed as an attacking midfielder who was known for his flair, but it seems Wenger signed a determined ball-winner who doesn't shy away from the less glamorous defensive side of the game.

After winning the ball, the other main function of a top quality holding midfielder is to distribute the ball well and keep the team ticking over without conceding possession. It's here that Mikel Arteta's statistics look really impressive.

This season, the Spaniard has averaged 94 passes a match (the best in the league), completing 93.8% of those (second best in the league). In 2011-12, Alex Song averaged 66.1 passes in a game with 84.3% finding a team mate.

It's important to note that Arteta played alongside Song for a lot of last season. This often meant Song wasn't expected to be the lynchpin that Arteta has become, but he was still the primary holding midfielder and neglected some of the associated roles. In comparison to the rest of the league from last season, Song's facts and figures are impressive, showing Arteta isn't just an improvement on Song but the best in the league at what he does.

We all know that there is more to football than the raw statistics. For a relatively short destructive midfielder (especially when lined up next to Per Mertesacker), Arteta has a commanding presence in the Arsenal squad to go with his impressive numbers. He was deservedly named vice-captain in the summer, and justifies this with the amount of midfield responsibility he takes on when playing.

The international break throws up another intriguing side to Arteta. The Spaniard must be the best player in the Premier League never to have represented his country at a senior level. This is something that bemuses fellow players and fans alike. It's unfortunate for Arteta that he's been at his peak at the same time as the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Cazorla and others, but given how vital he is for Arsenal, it's hard to complain at not having our midfield pivot also being at risk of injury in the coming weeks.

Arteta isn't a traditional defensive midfielder. He looks like he should be on a painting, he has hair that is seemingly impossible to ruffle or displace, he used to only be known as an attacker and he doesn't look built to be a midfielder destroyer. However, Arteta is the perfect experienced midfield lynchpin who can pick a pass, keep possession and disrupt the opposition. When Arsene Wenger sold Alex Song, I was concerned that Arsenal wouldn't sign a proper holding midfielder; Wenger knew that he already had the perfect man in the squad. Arteta does the hard midfield graft to win the ball, but also typifies the Wenger philosophy of beautiful football when in possession.

Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 10 Oct 12

Arsenal's Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla party late at West Ham

It was a bold old statement of Arsène Wenger's to suggest that it will do Arsenal good to compensate for Robin van Persie's goals by sharing the load around his newly assembled front line. His team rose to the challenge at the Boleyn Ground, with a first Premier League goal for Olivier Giroud and fine strikes from Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla crowning a valuable away win.

Having suffered a setback last weekend with a performance against Chelsea that left Wenger complaining about a lack of personality, Arsenal responded with character. Confronted by an old nemesis in the shape of a Sam Allardyce team that backed them into an awkward corner by opening the scoring, the Gunners struck the right combination of force and finesse. They remain unbeaten away and continue to play some compelling football on the road.

For all the talk of the damage a direct approach could inflict on an Arsenal team that have crumbled at set pieces lately, West Ham struggled to load too much pressure on a side benefitting from the reintroduction of the assured Per Mertesacker. Although Andy Carroll was an imposing presence, the home team were unable to mount a sustained offensive. "You can never control him for 90 minutes, but we fought with him," Wenger said.

The selection of his own big target man – and it was Giroud's first league start for more than a month – ensured West Ham also had plenty to concern themselves with. The former Montpellier striker's all round contribution was impressive. Several attempts on target, a goal and an assist is no bad return for an evening's work.

With Arsenal even looking dangerous from the set piece, West Ham duly took the lead with some virtuoso skill. So much for stereotypes. In the 21st minute, George McCartney fed the ball to Mohamed Diamé, who powered into the box, leaving Aaron Ramsey in his wake, and bent the ball ferociously into the far corner of the net. It was a marvellously executed finish from the huge Senegalese, who celebrated his first goal for the club with such relish he was cautioned after throwing himself into the crowd. He can count himself lucky as, shortly afterwards, he recklessly careered late into Mikel Arteta, but the referee, Phil Dowd, elected not to reach for another card.

The goal knocked Arsenal out of their stride and it was the man who had been struggling most obviously for confidence who grabbed Arsenal by the scruff of the neck to get them back into the game. Giroud gathered the ball in midfield, arced a pass out to Lukas Podolski and sprinted in front of his marker to lash the return ball past Jussi Jaaskelainen. West Ham had opportunities to retake the advantage, with Kevin Nolan twice in shooting range and Carroll outjumping Vito Mannone, but neither player could quite find their range.

Both teams jostled for position after the break. West Ham had to readjust around the hour mark when Ricardo Vaz Tê dislocated a shoulder as he rashly challenged Mannone. Allardyce's initial assessment was an absence of between six to 12 weeks. Kieran Gibbs was another injury concern after suffering a thigh problem and is very doubtful for the England squad.

Walcott, who started on the bench yet again but came on to provide another example of why he yearns for a striking role, played a critical part in the comeback. Giroud's deft assist set the fleet-footed attacker bearing down on goal. The finish was instinctive and ruthless, as Walcott passed the ball beyond Jaaskelainen. Message received and understood? We'll see.

Allardyce was left frustrated. "The second goal was a killer because we were in a fantastic position to score at that stage. Because we picked up the wrong pass, we've opened ourselves up and they've severely punished us on the break," he conceded.

The clincher came from a player who has become integral to Arsenal. When Walcott found Cazorla with a flick, the Spaniard arrowed a brilliant, precision third from 25 yards out. Since the beginning of last season no player from Europe's top leagues has scored more often from outside the box than Cazorla. "He's taken the Premier League by storm," Walcott said. "He's fantastic to play with every day. He's our conductor. I don't even know what foot is his best to be honest." Either, or both, are proving to be a considerable weapon.

Source: Amy Lawrence, The Guardian on 6 Oct 12

Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey adds gloss to victory over Olympiakos

Arsenal made a couple of late substitutions in this match, but that was no minor courtesy to the players introduced. It brought a welcome pause for the hosts as they held on to a 2-1 lead. A more luxurious moment came in stoppage time when the substitute Aaron Ramsey added a further goal with a very neat shot.

Arsène Wenger, serving a touchline ban, sat in the stands, leaving his assistant manager, Steve Bould, in charge. The latter saw a reaction to defeat by Chelsea last weekend. "It was tough, they made it tough for us. Without being fantastic," he said, "we got back on track before the weekend, which will be a tough game [at West Ham]."

There is something incongruous about thinking that a Champions League game could be some sort of warm-up for the Premier League. But, given their record, English clubs do have some cause to expect that a berth in the knockout phase is all but inevitable. Arsenal are more at ease in this competition than in domestic fixtures Victory was deserved here.

Olympiakos had shown endeavour but have now been beaten in both group games. Arsenal's concerns are marginal by comparison but they have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their past six matches.

Arsenal's command, to put it kindly, fluctuated against Olympiakos. They took the lead in the 42nd minute with a low drive by the dynamic Gervinho from the edge of the penalty area after a tackle by Mikel Arteta had brought the opportunity. Just before the interval, Olympiakos equalised when Kostas Mitroglou got free of Laurent Koscielny to head home a delivery from Leandro.

Although there has been a partial overhaul of the team, Arsenal sometimes look as if the European scene is the setting in which they are more likely to flourish, even if Olympiakos did check them in the opening 45 minutes.

Thomas Vermaelen, the Arsenal captain, was disappointed by his side's performance before half-time. "The second half was better – in the first half we were sloppy sometimes with the passing, we lost a lot of balls," the centre-back said. "We started well but the first half was not great."

It is unlikely that Wenger could have altered this contest immediately if he had been allowed his place in the technical area. His judgment, all the same, was felt to a degree. In the alterations to the lineup following the defeat here by Chelsea, there was no place for the centre-half Per Mertesacker. Bould, though, explained that the player has been unwell.

No one should suppose Wenger is a detached intellectual rather than an intensely engaged manager. It must have been agonising when there were no instructions to be given. The Frenchman would have yearned to communicate when the visitors might have scored in the 35th minute. Paul Machado was in position to connect with a cross from José Holebas, but merely lifted it over the bar.

Arsenal were busy enough but Olympiakos, already beaten in the group by visiting Schalke, were ready to take the risk of committing men into attack. The hosts had to deal with that increased purpose if this occasion was not to introduce anxiety to Arsenal's expectation of a simple advance to the knockout stage.

There can have been few neutrals among the onlookers but this match could have been regarded as a pleasure by anyone who cared for excitement and unpredictability. The home supporters, however, took a more intense satisfaction as a more forceful side claimed a 2-1 lead.

There was a mixture of insistence and quality when Gervinho linked with Santi Cazorla before the latter's cross was blocked and the ball ran back for him to set up Lukas Podolski for a goal. The real trial for Arsenal, then, had been the spasmodic nature of their work. Compliments were due to Olympiakos for their commitment. Excuses could be made for the fact that Arsenal continue to be a work in progress after some recasting of the squad in a summer that included Robin van Persie leaving for Old Trafford.

Olympiakos would have reckoned that a consecutive loss in the group would be irreparable, but not many visiting teams would have challenged Arsenal with such vigour on this ground.

Wenger's men, at times, were still striving just to make sure that Olympiakos were kept at bay. Instead of calming a match that Arsenal must have expected to win with some ease, there was a need to marshall forces and protect the advantage.

On this night, negotiating the stretch of the path towards the last 16 was full of jeopardy and, indeed, fascination.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 3 Oct 12

Chelsea profit after defensive errors add to familiar Arsenal flaws

It is surely no consolation to Arsenal that their first defeat of the season showed a certain togetherness, as blame for it could be shared throughout the side. There were deficiencies in defence, deficiencies in midfield and deficiencies up front.

Arsène Wenger expressed familiar lamentations about his team's mentality. And supporters were left venting familiar grievances about a club they fear will remain prone to such performances for as long as they spend each new season integrating fresh arrivals to replace departed stalwarts and make do with a squad that never quite looks complete.

Before this match Arsenal announced pre-tax profits of £36.6m for the year ending 31 May, and they are in rude health financially. But the fans' mood is still locked in a debilitating cycle of boom and bust. After the upswing triggered by the impressive win over Liverpool and draw at Manchester City, the sorry loss to Chelsea caused a plunge back towards pessimism. Chelsea did not have to excel to triumph.

"This was a game where everybody said 'OK, this is a real test of how we are doing' and we did well, so that is pleasing." That was the assessment of the Chelsea goalkeeper, Petr Cech: the flip side applies to Arsenal.

The home side's most obvious flaw was not necessarily the most worrying for the campaign ahead. Chelsea's goals came from set-pieces that were badly defended, notably by Laurent Koscielny, who lost his bearings as Fernando Torres guided in the first one in the 20th minute and then, in the 53rd, failed to cut out Juan Mata's free-kick and instead helped it into the net.

"We knew before the game we were playing against a team that was more mobile, more based on movement and played more on the ground and that's why I decided to play him," said Wenger by way of explanation for his decision to deploy Koscielny instead of Per Mertesacker, who had enjoyed a fine start to the season.

In fairness to Wenger, his logic was sound. But Koscielny suffered an off-day. That can happen to anyone but what was more alarming was that his mistakes were aggravated by a lack of communication – Wenger suggested Koscielny's troubles at the first goal were caused partially by the team's failure to reassign marking responsibilities after Abou Diaby was forced off injured three minutes earlier.

Such a laissez-aller approach pervaded this Arsenal performance and that, unlike Koscielny's bungling, is a frequent complaint. "We needed more personality, we were too passive," regretted Wenger. "We needed to attack the ball." That charge could be aimed at the whole team, not just a defence that, until the visit of Chelsea, had shown clear signs of progress since the summer appointment of Steve Bould as Wenger's assistant.

The meekness was perhaps most evident in midfield. Diaby was twice caught dozing on the ball before departing in the 17th minute and, while Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta toiled without finding much inspiration, Aaron Ramsey seemed too content to be a passenger. The Wales captain seldom exerts an influence commensurate with the faith placed in him. Up front, there can be no denying that Gervinho exerts an influence. However, even though he struck his fourth goal of the season with a splendid swivel and shot just before half-time, it is by no means clear that the Ivorian's influence is more positive than negative. Against Chelsea, as on countless previous occasions, his decision-making and execution were frequently exasperating, causing chances to disappear in groans.

Theo Walcott, who began on the bench, is accused of lacking a football brain but even he seems to have more reliable instincts than Gervinho. For the season ahead, the forwards on whom Arsenal could find themselves counting the most are Lukas Podolski, who was peripheral to proceedings here, even if one late header did bring a smart save from Cech, and Olivier Giroud.

Not for the first time this season, Giroud perpetrated a miss late in this game that Wenger admitted was "difficult to explain", slashing into the side netting after rounding Cech. That miss means he has scored just one goal in eight appearances since his £13m move from Montpellier.

However, unflattering comparisons with Marouane Chamakh could yet prove unwarranted. Giroud's movement, strength and build-up play suggest he has the skills to be an effective fulcrum and that his barren spell is as unsustainable as Gervinho's prolific one. If he rediscovers his knack for finishing, Giroud could solve one Arsenal problem. But the big Arsenal problem is that the team remains beset by too many 'ifs'.

Man of match: Juan Mata (Chelsea)

Source: Paul Doyle, The Guardian on 30 Sep 12

Theo Walcott scores twice as Arsenal crush Coventry in Capital One Cup

This was a refreshing night for Arsenal as an unfamiliar line-up laid on entertainment in this Capital One Cup tie. The victors relished the occasion by racking up a 6-1 win and the manager, Arsène Wenger, can be glad, too, that Olivier Giroud notched his first goal since the summer move from Montpellier.

In a merry game the Coventry City substitute Callum Ball had cut the deficit to 4-1 in the 78th minute with a header. The indignant hosts replied through Ignasi Miquel. Theo Walcott then insisted on taking his second goal with a finish from the left. It was a cheerful event and the visitors can still take pride in the account they gave of themselves.

The recently appointed Coventry manager, Mark Robins, wanted to please some 8,000 of his club's followers rather than have his men skulk in their own half. It was Arsenal, of course, who relished the match. There was particular satisfaction over those Walcott goals, although the unease continues as to whether he might leave the club as a free agent next summer.

"You have to give us time to sort it out," said Wenger. "We are always in touch with Theo's representatives." The manager also knows, though, that a range of resources is apparent. "I expect Giroud to take that into the Premier League," he observed of his new striker's finish.

Change was in the air. Arsenal's 19-year-old Nico Yennaris had, for instance, been the club's mascot when the team faced Coventry in 2000. This was just his second start under Wenger. The goalkeeper Damián Martínez and defender Martin Angha made their Arsenal debuts. Even so, it was the experience of Andrey Arshavin that was particularly prominent.

Arsenal's opener did not come until six minutes from half-time. The slight imperfections were still present as the key pass was partly a tackle by Francis Coquelin. Giroud then tucked the ball smoothly into the net. This game mattered to him and to Arsenal, irrespective of the unfamiliar team selection.

Wenger's men were eager, yet the final ball tended to elude the attackers during the first half. The Coventry goalkeeper Joe Murphy seldom needed to show off his acrobatic expertise, even if he had been beaten once by half-time. This was a stimulating match for the visitors, even though they lie second from bottom in League One.

They have made more of an impression in this tournament, but the team had not been involved in giant-killing. Slaying Arsenal was an implausible task but the Coventry side did at least contain some ballast in the inclusion of a seasoned figure such as Gary McSheffrey.

Coventry had to survive a penalty early in the second half after Reece Brown had barged into the back of Arshavin. Once two semi-clad streakers, both retaining their underpants, had been marched away Murphy leapt to his right and saved the spot-kick from Giroud.

The match was more engrossing for a crowd given at a remarkable 58,351. They were happier still when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain put a 20-yarder past the left hand of Murphy to extend the lead in the 57th minute.

This was a satisfying occasion in its way. Coventry took pride in themselves and did not seem to feel that they were out of their depth. All the same there was a fervour to Arsenal.

Arshavin relished his goal after taking a pass from Giroud in the 63rd minute. Only at that relatively late stage did Coventry start to look downhearted but even then they still went forward out of defiance. The visitors suffered for that when Walcott went clear for Arsenal's fourth and the first of his brace.

For the victors there must now be confidence flooding through them. It has already been a sound beginning to the campaign. If this sort of relish and impact is to continue, Walcott may find cause to stay where he is.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 27 Sep 12

Why Ramsey On The Right Stifled City & Proved Arsenal Are Committed Left-Wingers

A lopsided Arsenal flooded the midfield and neutralised Man City’s wide men, dominating the first half on Sunday, before Mancini’s tinkering tightened things up at The Etihad

Sunday’s 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium between Manchester City and Arsenal made interesting viewing for a number of reasons. City are formidable at home, unbeaten since a defeat by Everton as far back as December 2010, whilst this was the toughest test for Arsène Wenger’s improved and resurgent team. As is inevitable with Roberto Mancini at the moment there was plenty to look at from a tactical point of view. Indeed, the game was an interesting battle in this regard, with interesting selection choices and adjustments throughout which altered the pattern of the game.

On twitter (not always the best place to judge, I admit) there was plenty of chatter and bemusement regarding the decision to select Aaron Ramsey on the right, as opposed to the other more naturally attacking options available to Wenger.

However, as I alluded to in my previous column, although Arsenal’s shape is a variation of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 it is heavily slanted with the left-side as the most attacking flank. The onus is on the right-sided player to contribute more defensively, operating in a deeper-lying and often more central area, meaning a ‘midfield-type’ in Wenger’s words is more suitable. Thus the choice was always going to be between Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain for the role – even without his contractual issues, Theo Walcott will only be an impact sub whilst Arsenal persist with this left-sided focus.

The chart below highlights the passes received by Ramsey in the first half when Arsenal were most dominant, which were predominantly in the middle third of the pitch and indicated his licence to roam and join the midfield collective centrally. Arsenal’s best bit of play resulted in Ramsey drifting into a central position and exchanging passes with Santi Cazorla before releasing Gervinho with a perfectly weighted through ball, although the Ivorian’s control let him down and the chance was wasted.

Mancini is clearly attempting to introduce a tactical fluidity to his side this year, to enable them to take varying approaches against different teams. In the long run this will most likely be of great benefit, however it is causing some short term niggles. Scott Sinclair was brought in, probably anticipating that Carl Jenkinson would be Arsenal’s weak link and City reverted to a variant of 4-4-2, with David Silva tucked in on the other side. However Jenkinson continued with his impressive performances meaning Sinclair had no effect on the game, while Silva also remained on the periphery. The player influence charts for the first half explain Arsenal’s dominance, as with the two City wide men on the edge of the game and Ramsey tucking in, it was effectively a battle of four against two. The intricate passing proved too much for Yaya Toure and Javi Garcia and, despite going into the interval a goal down, Arsenal were undoubtedly the better team.

Although it was Mancini’s tactical setup that hindered the team in the first half, the advantage of his tinkering is that the system can be easily changed if things are not working. The half-time substitution of Jack Rodwell for Sinclair was in response to Arsenal’s dominance in the central area of the pitch.

Subsequently, City had their best period of the game, subduing Arsenal and gaining a foothold in midfield. The player interaction chart for the second half shows City had a much more balanced shape in the second half, with Rodwell tucking in to form a midfield three at times and Silva allowed to roam to effect the game in more advanced areas. Although it may have appeared as though Rodwell had little influence on the game to the naked eye – he only attempted 15 passes in the second half, compared to Ramsey for example with 39 – he was introduced to perform a tactical duty and did so admirably.

It wasn’t until Wenger made two changes in the 72nd minute, bringing on Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud, that Arsenal began to exert their influence on the game once again. Mancini’s tactical adjustment had neutered Arsenal up until that point, but the change in attacking focus gave City something new to think about. Giroud has received some overly harsh criticism already, which is particularly unfair given that he is a young player trying to adapt to a new league.

His presence as an attacking pivot was actually very useful and combined with his clever movement, he allowed Arsenal to advance further up the pitch and cause City some new problems.

Furthermore, with Theo Walcott occupying Gael Clichy and David Silva unwilling to track back, Jenkinson was afforded further space to attack into and offered another outlet in the final 20 minutes. Arsenal’s pressure told and they finished the game as the stronger of the two sides, equalising in the process before Gervinho wasted another great chance at the death.

For all the tactical nuances, the game proved to be a tight affair with set pieces required to provide the breakthrough at both ends. However there were plenty of positives to take from an Arsenal point of view, whilst Manchester City can and will undoubtedly improve.

Source: Marc Braterman, Sabotage Times on 25 Sep 12

Laurent Koscielny rescues point for Arsenal at Manchester City

Manchester City are so unaccustomed to dropping points on their own ground that Arsenal are entitled to cite this performance as evidence that, at the very least, they can have more input on the title race than they managed last season. Arsène Wenger's team left it late, Laurent Koscielny lashing the ball past Joe Hart after 82 minutes, but they deserved their equaliser and can be encouraged by the way they matched and frustrated the champions.

City rarely played with the style and control that has established the Etihad as the most formidable territory in the Premier League, with no home defeat for approaching two years. Joleon Lescott's headed goal, from a corner five minutes before half-time, was out of keeping with what had preceded it and an unsatisfactory day was epitomised by those moments in the second half when, first, Sergio Agüero played a simple pass to an opponent and then David Silva rolled the ball straight out of play for a throw-in. It was rare to see revered players suffering this form of carelessness and, coupled with the fact City have not managed a clean sheet this season, Roberto Mancini was justified afterwards in complaining that there must be an improvement.

Wenger's team always displayed a little more poise and, though they also endured periods when their football was not as clean and slick as their manager expects, there were spells when they threatened to wear their opponents down. Santi Cazorla was prominently involved, always wanting the ball and knowing the right thing to do with it. Mikel Arteta played with similar composure and Aaron Ramsey impressed in an unfamiliar wide role. When Jack Wilshere is back playing, this is going to be a delicious midfield.

Their problem is an obvious one, namely how to make do in attack without Robin van Persie. Lukas Podolski was substituted after a peripheral performance while Gervinho is too erratic, his touch frequently poor. One superb pass from Ramsey sent him running clear, at 0-0, but the striker's clumsiness wasted the opportunity, knocking the ball too far ahead and allowing Hart to cut out the danger. Olivier Giroud may solve the problem when he finds some confidence but for now the Frenchman is only on the edges, restricted to 18 minutes as a substitute.

Mancini admitted that Arsenal had dominated in midfield during the first half, compelling him to take off Scott Sinclair at the interval and bring on another of his new players, Jack Rodwell. Sinclair, starting his first home match for City, had been poor and replacing him with a more central player did have an effect on the game early in the second half. City, nonetheless, lacked their usual drive, with Carlos Tevez not in the starting line-up and the fit-again Agüero trying to renew a partnership with Edin Dzeko that has never really existed, almost a year to the day since their last start together.

Agüero worked hard but looked rusty and flashed wide a late chance. The little incident at the end, when Mario Balotelli said something to Mancini and the manager pushed him down the tunnel, compounded a bad day for City and, though these are still early days, there is a legitimate feeling they have temporarily lost some of the impetus that took them to the title. Afterwards, Wenger said a draw was the least his team had deserved.

Arsenal had taken their time to get going in the second half but their goal came from a spell of mounting pressure. Hart had tipped Cazorla's drive over the crossbar and when the Spaniard swung in the corner Lescott could not get enough leverage on his header. Koscielny's first touch controlled the ball, the second was a shot that was still rising when it went into the top corner.

Koscielny was guilty, for Agüero's chance, of giving the ball straight to his opponent inside the penalty area. The early-season improvement in Arsenal's defending was not particularly obvious, too, for Lescott's goal, originating from a Silva corner that the otherwise impressive Kieran Gibbs need not have conceded. Vito Mannone, deputising for the injured Wojciech Szczesny, came off his line but never got close to claiming the ball. Lescott had Podolski and Koscielny in close proximity but still managed to head the ball inside the far post.

It was a soft goal to concede but overall Arsenal restricted their opponents to few clear chances, despite Thomas Vermaelen's illness forcing Wenger to change his back four for the first time this season. Tevez and Balotelli could not bring a new spark to City's attack when they came off the bench, while Silva struggled to find his touch and Sinclair remained quiet with his new club. At least he is getting a game: this was the third successive match James Milner, an England regular, has not even made the bench.

Theo Walcott will have his own frustrations after being omitted in favour of Ramsey, a central midfielder asked to play on the right wing. Arsenal's system, however, was neat and effective. City, with 76 points out of a possible 78 in their home games before this fixture, have still not really got going.

Man of the match: Santi Cazorla (Arsenal)

Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 23 Sep 12

Abou Diaby comes through the dark times and into the light at Arsenal

The French midfielder is finally over his terrible injury problems and excited about the future for Arsène Wenger's new-look team

It is the little things that make a profound difference. Driving into the training ground, parking up and strolling towards the changing room instead of the medical centre. Waking up on match day with that twist of anticipation in your stomach, ready to play, instead of wondering if you can face going to watch yet another game from the stands. Seeing a supporter approach and feeling happy to chat rather than weary of the inevitable question about when you are going to be back.

No matter how sunny your nature, how positive your outlook, long stretches of rehabilitation are demoralising. Abou Diaby's extensive injury problems got to him to the extent that occasionally he found it difficult being around his club. "I have to be honest and say sometimes I missed some games. I watched at home on TV," he says, bashfully. "One year like this, without playing, is difficult."

There is a kind of separation injured players feel compared with the rest of the group and Diaby felt it keenly enough to go abroad during some stages of his recuperation, to give himself at least some space from the world of the football crock. "I prefer to do my treatment away. I asked permission and the manager let me. I went back to France, to America, to the Middle East. You need to change because staying in the same atmosphere, mentally you will explode.

"I feel a football club is not for injured players. When you come every day it is to train, to play. But when you are out for a long time, it's very hard to take. You see your team-mates training with a smile on their face and you want that as well. I was sitting on the physiotherapist's bed. You can feel yourself a bit apart from the group. You don't contribute to everything that is going on around the team. It is a strange feeling."

Football clubs being a breeding ground for cheap jokes, once we had made our introductions it would have been easy to congratulate Diaby for actually making it through the door and all the way to the chair without suffering some kind of knock. But in this particular case, once this calm and gentle giant starts to detail what the tools of his trade – his body parts – have had to endure, it really feels like a miracle that he is able to play at such an elevated standard.

Diaby's right ankle has been a cause of aggravation ever since an horrendous tackle by Sunderland's Dan Smith in 2006. What made it worse was that it was so unnecessary. The game was almost finished with the score 3-0. The ball was in an innocuous area of the pitch. Sunderland – already relegated – had little to get fired up about. Smith launched himself at Diaby and inflicted damage serious enough for the Frenchman's career to be on the line. He was 19 at the time.

The complications have gone on and on. His left leg is longer than his right and the years of having one stronger side compensating for the weaker has left him with knock-on biomechanical problems. Hence, Diaby suffered almost 20 different muscular injuries since his ankle was originally shattered.

Last summer he had surgery on the right ankle for the fourth time. The details are grisly. Some stray bone had grown – a new bone effectively. "It was causing a lot of pain. I had to take the bone off. To be honest, at the beginning I didn't want to do the surgery, I just wanted to let it go and see how the ankle would respond but at the end I had to do it," he says. "I'm fine now."

Despite the encouragement of his family, his friends and his club, there have been moments when he thought he would never recover, and that a pair of football boots would no longer be needed. There are only so many setbacks that you can absorb. The rehabilitation was, at times, too demanding with too little progress. "It was getting too much," he says. "When you do something and you don't enjoy it, you don't see the point of carrying on. Some bad ideas cross your mind. I had to keep going. I went through a downward spiral, but I had a really good pre-season and now I am very confident in my body. I am very focused."

The example of Robin van Persie, who also wore the injury-prone label for years, was helpful. "Robin kept going and became one of the best players," Diaby says. "He told me to keep going and do my treatment. He gave me some ideas and inspiration."

That is a message Diaby is now passing on to Jack Wilshere. In all three cases, Arsène Wenger has proved determined to keep faith in players he believes in for as long as he possibly can. Diaby is sure that another manager might have given up on him. "If I was in another club I wouldn't have this chance," he says.

Now 26, it is a chance he is desperate to seize. He feels in good shape. He feels strong. But he knows that he needs to come through a season without any major problems to convince people that he is not an injury waiting to happen. He understands why there is scepticism. "The confidence will come back in their minds when I play 40 games in a year and have a successful season. Then people will forget," he says.

He needs that reassurance for himself, too. During last season, when his handful of brief cameos invariably ended in yet another setback, he found himself trembling as he contemplated stepping over the white line. He never used to suffer from nerves but anxiety about getting injured again was palpable.

So far this season, that has not been a problem. He has been a solid regular, developing a fine midfield rapport with Mikel Arteta, and he gained a massive confidence boost the last time Arsenal travelled to the north-west, with an imperious man-of-the-match display at Liverpool.

Diaby is excited about Sunday's trip to Manchester City, which he knows will be a fascinating litmus test of his team's positive start to the campaign. "We definitely want to win and are going there with a winning mentality," he says.

The match brings him up against one of his great friends in football, Yaya Touré. The pair of them met during the summer when they were on the same flight to Abidjan to visit family. Although he was born in the Paris suburbs, both Diaby's parents come from Ivory Coast.

Diaby has the characteristics to play a similar role to the one Touré defines in the modern game. "We like to play deep but make forward runs," the France international says. "It is a position I am really happy with. He's a friend first of all but as a player he is one of the best in his position. What he is doing on the pitch is amazing."

Diaby's own technical standards are not to be sniffed at. He just needs the opportunity to show it far more than has been possible over his seven seasons at Arsenal. Wondering what might have been had he been a little more injury free is not a road he goes down. He never heard from Smith. But this placid, thoughtful man bears no obvious ill-will. "Thank God I am still here," Diaby says. "This happened a long time ago. Now I am just focused on my future. I want to enjoy playing football because I love it. I just want to express my qualities. I am just looking forward.

"My first objective is to stay fit, then try to achieve something at the club. By winning the league or the Champions League we would make history and I want to be part of that."

These are lofty aims, and the kind of ambitions that have led to team-mates leaving Arsenal in order to try to fulfil them. "We always expect some players to leave, we are used to that now," Diaby says with a giggle and a shrug. "Arsenal always show they can respond. The good thing about the manager is he puts his trust in his players. We want to give him back the confidence he gives to us."

Alex Song's departure and the refusal to buy another midfielder were partly down to Wenger's commitment to giving Diaby and Wilshere every chance to make the most of their talent. With his longer left leg and his rebuilt right ankle, Diaby wanders off eager to do just that.

Source: Amy Lawrence, The Guardian on 22 Sep 12

Arsenal's Gervinho enjoys the joy of six against lowly Southampton

When the fixtures tumbled out of the computer for the start of a newly promoted season, Nigel Adkins must have wondered whether he had unknowingly broken any mirrors while walking under a ladder. Hot on the heels of a tough introduction to both Manchester clubs, a rampant Arsenal lacerated Southampton.

It was as comfortable an afternoon as Arsène Wenger could have wished for in a situation that can be tricky in between internationals and the upcoming Champions League. The Frenchman was even able to experiment with his forward line. The most notable aspect was not so much the absence of Olivier Giroud, who Wenger felt needed a break from the pressure, but the identity of his replacement as the team's spearhead: Gervinho.

The Ivorian is a player with such a liking for improvisation it does not usually look like he has any more idea than anyone else what he is going to do next, so it was an interesting choice. As it turned out, it was a masterstroke. The striker was full of running, played with a more direct shoot-on-sight approach than normal and finished with two goals and an assist.

"We transform all wingers into strikers," Wenger said with a sparkle in his eye. The seed had been planted on the pre-season tour of Asia. "I decided to try it. He's such a great mover, so quick, and once he's ahead of the last defender it is difficult to catch him. I hesitated about whether to play him or [Lukas] Podolski, who gives us balance on the left and I didn't want to destroy that."

With good reason. In the 11th minute the German won possession in midfield and teed up the galloping Kieran Gibbs, whose angled shot was pushed by Kelvin Davies straight into the retreating Jos Hooiveld. The Dutchman could not avoid poking the ball over his own goalline.

Arsenal's dominance was reflected in a flurry of goals before half-time – three in six minutes: first, Podolski turned the screw with a peach of a free-kick; then Gervinho accelerated on to Mikel Arteta's beautifully crafted pass and beat Davis at his near post with conviction; and finally Southampton's defence unspooled completely when Gervinho broke to release Gibbs, whose return ball cannoned off Nathaniel Clyne for Southampton's second own goal of a sobering afternoon. Adkins looked shell-shocked in his dugout. "They were ruthless," he said later.

In the spirit of gifts, Wojciech Szczesny provided a glimmer for Southampton with a sloppy claw at Jason Puncheon's cross, allowing Daniel Fox to break Arsenal's run of clean sheets. Asked if Szczesny was disappointed with himself, Wenger's expression spoke volumes.

While there was hardly an air of panic, a collective intake of breath was heard when Rickie Lambert glimpsed the opportunity to take aim; Southampton's hitman drilled wide. The visitors were a little more bullish in the second half and welcomed Gastón Ramírez, although they lacked the guile to fashion many clear-cut chances.

Adkins was pleased with his debutants even though they came on in difficult circumstances. It was particularly challenging for the Japanese defender Maya Yoshida, who replaced the injured Hooiveld early on. "Maya was in at the deep end," the Southampton manager said. "He only had one training session with us and he grew into the game. And you can see what a quality footballer Gastón Ramírez is going to be for this football club. You find out about people when you are up against the wall. James Ward-Prowse was outstanding as he kept going and kept trying to play."

It helped that Arsenal eased off slightly, if not entirely. The fifth came when Santi Cazorla – exceptional again as the team's conductor – released Aaron Ramsey, who carved out an opening with clever footwork. His dinked effort drifted on to the post and that man Gervinho was in the right place to nudge the rebound over the line. The former Saint Theo Walcott curled in the sixth after Thomas Vermaelen stormed upfield to test Davis.

When they were finally put out of their misery, Walcott and the other kid nurtured at St Mary's, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, made a point of going to salute the visiting supporters. Bottom of the table and on the end of a pummelling, the nostalgic gesture was well received but a minor consolation. "When the fixtures came out people thought we'd get a right good chasing," Adkins said. "We have had a conversation in the dressing room. We've got the belief we can play in this division. We will have a great week's training and I'm sure St Mary's will be bouncing next weekend."

As for the home crowd, the mood contrasted sharply with the last time they were here – a sluggish goalless draw against Sunderland on the first day of the season. Improvements since then have bred optimism, but Arsenal will have a much greater idea of how they are shaping up next weekend when they travel to Manchester City. "We are a team with a big positive energy but we have two interesting weeks, with Montpellier, City and then Chelsea," Wenger said.

Source: Amy Lawrence, The Guardian on 15 Sep 12

We were worried we couldn't score

Remember the days earlier in the season when we thought we couldn't score? They seem a long time ago. The confidence gained from the victory at Liverpool could have been lost during the international break, but you could easily have been mistaken for thinking that the players got off the bus after the journey back from Anfield, and went straight onto the pitch against Southampton. The confidence was flowing through the team, and suddenly things are looking up.

I was surprised to see Gervinho play as the central striker, but he made clever runs and scored two deserved goals. He played the poacher role well, and made space for others. I don't think playing Gervinho up front would work against a team that sits back or one that looks to physically dominate us, but in a more open match, it's a good option for the manager to have.

The Ivorian's first goal came from a great through ball from Arteta, who again performed well alongside the more defensive Francis Coquelin. His second came from good work from Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman continued to be slightly random with some of his touches, but the run and build up to Gervinho's goal showed why he's worth persisting with as a player.

Along with Gervinho, it was good to see other attackers get on the scoresheet. Lukas Podolski was excellent again on the left, and his link up play with Cazorla is continuing to look sumptuous. I didn't expect Podolski to take the free-kick with Cazorla or Arteta eyeing it up, however the German's strike was excellent. Even though Robin van Persie was a good free-kick taker, it was his way or no way at dead ball situations last season. Now we have numerous dangerous options.

Theo Walcott's goal was straightforward given the confusion in the Southampton defence, but it's good for his confidence to find the net. He's struggled this season with being in and out of the team, and has the contract issue hanging over him, so a goal can only help improve his general mood in the team.

As well as not taking chances earlier in the season, we weren't creating guilt-edged ones. That changed against Southampton, with Cazorla and others bringing in the full-backs and helping to create chances for those in the middle. That led to the own goals, and whilst they were fortunate, they came from good moves forward. Kieran Gibbs has quietly had a very good start to the season, and his balls into the box for the own goals were both dangerous.

Having run Manchester United and Manchester City close, I was pleased to see Southampton try to play attacking football as it played into our hands. The back four didn't sit on the edge of their box, and our quicker players ran riot into the space behind them. Southampton will win plenty of friends trying to play football that's good to watch, but unfortunately for them, they'll concede plenty of goals by doing that. Ahead of our difficult period of games, it was the sort of match we needed to make the new signings feel as if they're part of a successful team, and to get the forwards used to hitting the back of the net.

Of course, the one forward who didn't do that was Olivier Giroud. It's hard to criticise the team selection when you win 6-1, but I thought it would have been a good game for Giroud to start in because of the number of chances we were likely to create. Hopefully he'll be able to feed off the growing confidence of the others around him, and then he'll be able to do well in the familiar surroundings of Montpellier on Tuesday.

The only concern from the game was the goal we conceded. Obviously, I'm buzzing that we scored six goals, but there's a large part of me that is furious that we let a goal in. If it had been a screamer, I'd have accepted it, but it was a goalkeeping howler. Wojciech Szczesny has no defence for the way he dropped the ball straight to Danny Fox. I'm sure Steve Bould will give him a suitable dressing down. Szczesny is still young and prone to a mistake, but it was a reminder to him that his number one shirt isn't safe with Vito Mannone suddenly back in the frame. Apart from the howler, we looked solid again, and one goal conceded in four games is still miles better than the start we'd imagined the team would make.

Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, with Arsene Wenger once again reminding us that he can still construct a team that plays stunning football. We still have to take one small step at the time with this team because of the turnover of players, but now things are clicking, the days of worrying where the next goal will come from could be behind us.

Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 15 Sep 12

Wenger's work makes progress

Quality, then, but not without a few caveats. Although Arsenal may be high in the table as well as high in the general excellence of their display, we still don't truly know where they are as a team.

The uncertainty is more to do with the opposition they have encountered rather than Arsenal themselves, who are coming along nicely. In the first two games, the fact they played two of the deepest-lying teams in the Premier League painted an unfair picture of their attack as well as a flattering one of their defence, with that only followed by a Liverpool side who have problems at both ends.

 

On Saturday came a Southampton team who descended into a rabble, as illustrated by the two own goals that gave Arsenal such a pleasing platform from which to express themselves.

As such, it's been extreme to extreme for Arsene Wenger's side. It can't be denied that they admirably exploited the latest one to the fullest degree. Indeed, it was a day when almost everything went right.

The sheer incisiveness of the team recalled the movement of the Invincibles; Lukas Podolski kept up his scoring form with an exceptional free-kick; the midfield seemed better balanced than ever; and, most illustrative of the kind of afternoon it was, Gervinho looked a genuinely top-level attacker for the first time since signing.

The only negatives were Olivier Giroud failing to open his account and the Wojciech Szczesny error that led to the end of that perfect defensive record.

Otherwise it was hard for anyone at the club to complain. Wenger certainly didn't, even if, when talking about Podolski's integration, he acknowledged it's still hard to get a proper sense of where they actually stand.

"With the right quality of pass, it's easier to adapt," Wenger said. "So, when the team plays as well as it did today, adaptation is easier. But, when you have to fight and are exposed to the real English game, it's more difficult. The first 45 minutes were played at a very high level. A good combination of pace, speed in our passing, quick combinations. The movement was excellent."

Notably, there were the rampaging runs of the impressive Kieran Gibbs, which led to the own goals from Jos Hooiveld, in particularly calamitous fashion, and Nathaniel Clyne. "We were a bit lucky because they conceded two own goals," Wenger said, "but, overall, there was a level of continuity between [the Liverpool match] and today."

Not just continuity but construction. Arsenal built on that Anfield performance in a number of ways, not least the innovative use of Gervinho.

It's fair to say that the forward was a huge disappointment in his debut season and, without doubt, this was the first time he received a standing ovation at the Emirates. The Ivorian was deployed through the centre and absolutely revelled, generally looking threatening and finishing superbly twice.

As Gervinho so easily and excellently turned Maya Yoshida to set up the opportunity for his first, he might have felt a twinge of sympathy for the Japanese defender. An emergency substitute for the injured Hooiveld, Yoshida looked like the wide-eyed stranger to the Premier League that Gervinho was in his own first campaign. Here, though, the forward was the master.

Indeed, his display put Wenger in such a good mood that the Arsenal manager was willing to joke about it: "Don't you know? We transform all wingers into central strikers and strikers into wingers."

 

More seriously, though, he shed light on the genesis of the switch: "In fact, I decided during our tour of Asia when I played him against Manchester City in that position. I liked what he did and it was in my mind. He is so quick and, once he gets ahead of that central defender..."

Of course, Gervinho's performance was facilitated by the perfect passing behind him. Although still very early in the season, Arsenal's midfield is already looking one of the best and most balanced in the league.

Steadying things, there is the intelligence of Mikel Arteta. Francis Coquelin caught the eye in particular with one exceptional pass for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Indeed, although it may well have been a bit of revisionism after the fact, Wenger insisted the club never signed a replacement for Alex Song precisely because of Coquelin's qualities.

"Yes, we didn't go into the market because of him, as well as [Emmanuel] Frimpong, [Jack] Wilshere coming back. Wilshere is not far away now. Frimpong is joining on Monday; [Abou] Diaby as well," Wenger added. "In fact, we have no real defensive midfielder because we all go forward when we have the ball."

Wenger praised the impact of the supreme Santo Cazorla: "He is a player who is just a pleasure to watch. We want him to have the ball and I think he typifies what Spain is today in midfield: technically perfect, great vision, great team attitude."

Arsenal further illustrated their options when Aaron Ramsey came on to provide his most complete performance in some time. At one point, he crushed a Southampton attack at source with a crunching tackle. At another, he further crushed the confidence of their defence by working the ball past Clyne to hit the post and Gervinho made it five.

It was testament to Arsenal's impressive array of attacking angles that the scorer of the last goal, Theo Walcott, felt like something of an afterthought. That was in stark contrast to the summer when the winger's contract situation threatened to further darken the transfer window for Wenger's side.

That window, of course, was dominated and supposedly defined by Robin van Persie. Naturally, though, this win added a further thread to that narrative.

As genuinely world-class as Van Persie is and will continue to be for Manchester United, there was a feeling during the summer that his departure may not have been the most damaging for Arsenal because it meant the club aren't quite so dependent on one player, allowing them to bring in a trio of other attackers. That was certainly on show against Southampton. And, although it's unknown whether Wenger was referring to his former captain, he did make a point of noting the sense of collective about the side now.

"There is a positive energy in this team, a desire to play together, real team play. It's very exciting," he added.

For Southampton it was only excruciating. Their own start to the season has been somewhat skewed too since, in four games, they have already played all of the 2011-12 top three. But, unlike the displays against the two Manchester clubs, here they were embarrassingly turned over with rumours starting to swirl about Nigel Adkins's future.

"We just played a very good team," Adkins said. "Players of this standard are going to punish you. They were ruthless weren't they?"

The big question, though, is whether Arsenal can be as ruthless when the level is raised. "We have a big week coming up because on Tuesday we go to Montpellier, then we have Manchester City and then Chelsea," Wenger said. "We will know much more about the team then."

At the least, everything we do know so far is hardly negative.

Source: Miguel Delaney, ESPN Soccernet on 15 Sep 12

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 6-1 Southampton match

on the performance...
Especially in the first 45 minutes we had a high level. We had a good combination of pace, speed in our passing, quick combinations, and the movement was excellent. We were a bit lucky as well because they conceded two own goals, but overall I think it was a level of continuity with what we have shown at Liverpool and today. The game was very interesting to watch. In the second half we lost a bit of urgency, that is human, but we controlled the game and remained serious.

on a big month ahead…
We have a big week coming up because we go on Tuesday now to Montpellier. On Sunday we play at Man City and we have two interesting weeks coming up because we play Chelsea as well. We will know more about our team then but there is a positive energy in this team, a desire to play well together, and real team play. It is very exciting.

on Gervinho playing through the middle…
You know we transform all wingers into central strikers and all the strikers into wingers! I decided that during our tour of Asia when I tried to play Gervinho there against Man City in that position. I liked what he did and it was in the back of my mind. It is interesting because he is such a great mover and he is so quick so when he is central, once he gets ahead of the central defender it is difficult to catch him back.

on Santi Cazorla…
Cazorla is a player who is just a pleasure to watch. You want him to have the ball. He typifies what Spain's midfielders are today - he is technically perfect, he has great vision and a great team attitude. We did fight with Malaga at the time [to get him last summer] and they were in Spain, they were quick to do the deal. But we remained on the ball, we were quite advanced with him last season.

on Lukas Podolski…
First of all Lukas has 101 caps for Germany. In our job, once you get the ball every time at the right moment, when you want it, with the right quality of the pass, it is easier to adapt. So when a team plays as well as it did today, the adaptation is easy. When you have to fight, and then you are exposed to the real English game, it is much more difficult. He is physically strong and he is a fantastic finisher. I had a little hesitation today to play him at centre forward because I had played him only once there. He gives us a balance on the left and I didn't want to destroy that because he did well at Liverpool.

on Francis Coquelin…
I didn't go on the [transfer] market because of him, because of Frimpong, because of Wilshere coming back - he is not far away now. Frimpong is joining in now on Monday in full training. Diaby as well, he plays in this position. We have no real defensive midfielder because we all go forward when we have the ball.

on leaving Giroud on the bench…
I felt that he is under much pressure at the moment and sometimes to get a little breather is good. What I will do on Tuesday I honestly don't know. I just felt that the time has come for him to not be under too much pressure.

on Walcott through the centre…
Walcott can play up front as well. We work on it with him. He was sick the whole week, he only had one training session.

on Diaby's fitness…
Diaby should be fit for Montpellier. He could even have played today, he had a good training session but we didn't want to take a risk.

on Szczesny's error for Southampton's goal…
I think he was disappointed. That's the negative of the day, that we conceded a goal, but we can swallow that. You have to concede at some stage but it happened like it happened.

Source: Arsenal.com on 15 Sep 12

15 September 2012: Arsenal 6-1 Southampton, Emirates Stadium

Arsenal stormed to a sensational 6-1 win over Southampton at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Before the victory at Liverpool last time out, Arsène Wenger’s side had been accused of being goal-shy having failed to penetrate the defences of Sunderland and Stoke in their opening two games of the campaign.

Today, they laid that particular ghost to rest with a three-goal salvo inside five minutes late in the first half.

Arsenal already led through Jos Hooiveld’s own goal before Lukas Podolski planted an expert free-kick past Kelvin Davis in the 31st minute. That would be followed quickly by Gervinho’s first of the season and another self-inflicted wound, this time from Nathaniel Clyne.

Southampton were stunned but Daniel Fox did fire home after Wojciech Szczesny’s slip just before the break. They rallied somewhat after the restart but Gervinho’s second ended the argument 19 minutes from time and substitute Theo Walcott stroked home a sixth at the death.

This result was as satisfying as the scoreline suggests. Arsenal have looked controlled and efficient all season - only now they are getting the results to match.

In the past few weeks, Southampton had pushed both Manchester clubs all the way but they were no match for Wenger’s men this afternoon.

Arsenal are up to third in the nascent Premier League table and it is starting to look like they will be in that position all season.

Or maybe higher.

Wenger made two changes from the side that had won so handsomely at Anfield a fortnight ago. The manager erred on the safe side with Abou Diaby and omitted him because of a muscular injury. Francis Coquelin replaced his compatriot but in a holding midfield role which allowed Mikel Arteta to push further forward.

The other change was Gervinho for Olivier Giroud and this was a straight swap. Somewhat surprisingly, the Ivorian was used as a central striker so Podolski would once again attack from the left.

Southampton were better than their rock-bottom position suggested. But then Arsenal had not even conceded a goal this season, let alone looked like losing. They had oozed composure and confidence at Liverpool.

The only concern was that the international break would affect their focus.

Very quickly that fear would be allayed. And by the half-hour it was utterly extinguished.

In the opening stages Arsenal were full of intent. Podolski stung the hands of Davis, then Santi Cazorla lifted an effort over the bar from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross.

The two new signings caught the eye once again. Cazorla had been outstanding at Stoke and Liverpool but Podolski was prominent today.

The German’s tenacity was at the heart of the first goal after 11 minutes. He refused to lose the ball in midfield before spreading it wide to Gibbs on the left. The full-back’s low shot was half-saved by Davis at the near post but the ball trickled away from him and Hooiveld nudged it into his own net.

Arsenal were ruling supreme. Their control in this game was a steel fist in a velvet glove. They were sharper, stronger and more fluent than their opponents.

After 20 minutes, Gervinho darted through to win a corner. Kelvin Davis failed to gather Cazorla’s ball in but the keeper recovered quickly to clutch Per Mertesacker’s powerful header after he had been set up by Coquelin’s clever chip.

It was simply all Arsenal. They just needed the goals to reflect their dominance.

And those would arrive quickly and in great number.

The avalanche began in the 31st minute. Steven Davis clipped Coquelin 25 yards out and Podolski curled home a ferocious free-kick.

Two minutes later, Arteta lifted a pass down the right-hand channel for Gervinho to race onto. He slammed his effort past Kelvin Davis at the near post.

After another two minutes, Arsenal got their fourth. Again the supplier was Gibbs, only this time his swinging cross was turned into his own net by Clyne.

The Southampton defence was now on a hat-trick.

However, the visitors would show a little bit more at the other end as half-time approached. Jason Puncheon fired their first real shot of the game just wide in the 39th minute and, on the whistle, he supplied a hanging, far-post cross for them to score.

Szczesny spilled the ball on to the head of Carl Jenkinson and it sat up nicely for Fox to slam into the unguarded net.

It was a disappointing way for Arsenal to concede their first goal in five-and-a-quarter hours of football this term.

Nigel Adkins had made one change during the first half. He made another at half time – debuting big-money signing Gaston Ramirez. Southampton improved and, in the 56th minute, Rickie Lambert had a super chance to pull his side back into the game. But he slid the ball past the far post.

Arsenal were still the better side – Gervinho was still dangerous and Oxlade-Chamberlain bundled an effort wide – however, the gap had now closed.

Wenger saw it and changed things. Aaron Ramsey replaced Coquelin and, within 10 minutes, had cleverly set up a fifth for Gervinho to poke home.

It put paid to any chance of a Southampton comeback – and the visitors' second-half display had at least re-introduced the possibility.

Arsenal scented blood once more and Oxlade-Chamberlain lashed a cross-shot at goal. Kelvin Davis just about batted it wide.

In the final minute, the home side did find another. Thomas Vermaelen’s effort was blocked and Walcott thumped home the rebound.

The former Southampton striker barely celebrated the goal and, along with Oxlade-Chamberlain, another ex-Saint, saluted the visiting fans at the full-time whistle.

That pocket of around 3,000 supporters sang their hearts out all game but it was the remaining 57,000 who went home much the happier.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 15 Sep 12

Santi Cazorla's skill and vision could end Arsenal's trophy drought

Spaniard's 'soft feet' provide Arsenal with an extra dimension and prove Arsène Wenger still has an eye for talent

Santi Cazorla offers a two-footed, subtly skilful rebuke to those critics who claim Arsène Wenger has lost his touch in the transfer market . Equally importantly, a creator described as a cross between Liam Brady and Cesc Fábregas appears sufficiently talented to serve as an on-field airbrush, smoothing out the imperfections in other areas of Arsenal's class of 2012-13.

Admittedly the impressive Abou Diaby enjoyed a key ball-winning role for the visitors but Wenger's £12m acquisition from Malága created Arsenal's first goal before scoring the second himself. It was Cazorla, deployed in a central role behind Olivier Giroud in a 4-2-3-1 formation, whose smart link play enabled his new side to dominate possession and control the tempo for prolonged periods.

Far too brainy to be cowed by Liverpool's embryonic pressing game, he ensured that what the home manager, Brendan Rodgers, terms as the "transition" – the phase of play when his side are striving to reclaim the ball – was frequently considerably longer than intended.

Like Rodgers, Wenger is a "conviction coach" who, refusing to have truck with the pragmatic tactics and "consensus" politics of many managerial peers, sticks to his slick passing, sensible spending principles come rain or shine.

As the trophy-less years have accumulated, Arsenal's manager has sometimes seemed a bit of a prophet in the wilderness but, much more of this, and his cynics may start revising some gloomy pre-season predictions.

Certainly watching the impressive Lukas Podolski – all intelligent, diligent, running in a wide-left role – meet Cazorla's clever pass before scoring his side's first goal of this Premier League campaign, Wenger must have suddenly felt reassuringly warmed by Anfield's weak afternoon sunshine.

The pain inflicted by the loss of Fábregas and, more recently, Robin van Persie – not to mention Nuri Sahin's decision to join Liverpool on loan from Real Madrid – was temporarily at least diminished by his new 5ft 6in Spaniard.

"We saw very quickly that Cazorla was not going to take six months to settle," Wenger said. "And we know Podolski is deadly when he gets a chance." Blessed with what coaches call "soft feet" – because they cushion and caress the ball so well – and sharp vision, the former is the sort of player fans struggle to take their eyes off.

From Giroud's viewpoint this could only be a good thing. Long before Cazorla had assuaged Wenger's anxieties – not to mention ruined José Reina's afternoon – by scoring Arsenal's second goal, their lone striker had appeared a weak link.

It is all very well boasting a remodelled defence which has gone three games without conceding, but memories of Van Persie will keep rearing their head if the ball persists in bouncing off Giroud like this. Forget the glorious first-half chance missed by the French forward, if only his hold up play had been a bit better much good work from Cazorla, Diaby and Mikel Arteta would have reaped even greater dividends.

These are, of course, early days and expectations are, as Wenger puts it, very high. Giroud must be given a decent chance to adapt to a new football culture but it is impossible to resist the thought that a move for Andy Carroll on Arsenal's part last week might not have been quite as left-field as it sounds. Alan Pardew, Newcastle United's manager, sees shades of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the England centre-forward and what better habitat in which to coax them out of him than The Emirates?

While Liverpool loaned Carroll to West Ham, Arsenal twice attempted to sign Yohan Cabaye from Newcastle before the transfer window's closure but Wenger surely did not need the France playmaker. Indeed, with Jack Wilshere scheduled to make his long awaited return from ankle and knee injuries next month, midfield looks the Gunners' strong suit. Here it was sufficiently rich for Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott to be named as substitutes while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's frequent struggles to get beyond José Enrique barely mattered.

"There's quality and a fight for places in our midfield," said Wenger, "and Wilshere's looking very good in training."

Carl Jenkinson's encouraging emergence at right-back – even if Raheem Sterling did give him a couple of frights – has helped ensure that a defence protected by Vito Mannone, Arsenal's third-choice goalkeeper, also appears a more robust department than expected.

"It's encouraging," Wenger said. "It's early and football often offers lessons in humility but I'm confident we have good potential."

Maybe, just maybe, the manager who forecast the Eurozone crisis before many politicians and economists is finally poised to remind everyone that football clubs can occasionally win trophies and make money.

Source: Louise Taylor, The Guardian on 2 Sep 12

Liverpool could move for Michael Owen following defeat to Arsenal

A fitting end to a dreadful few days in the Liverpool reign of Brendan Rodgers stemmed from a superior Arsenal display, carelessness and another error from the once formidable José Reina. But it was strikers in absentia who hogged the limelight. The Liverpool manager admitted he would never have loaned Andy Carroll to West Ham United had he foreseen Friday's non-transfer deadline day and will consider an Anfield return for Michael Owen.

Arsène Wenger appeared mildly irritated as he entered the Anfield press room having been made to wait an age to review Arsenal's first win of the season by Rodgers's inquest into Liverpool's shambolic end to the transfer window. Wenger was lucky he was not kept waiting all night. A rift has opened between the Liverpool manager and the club's owners, Fenway Sports Group, after they refused to offer more than £4m to Fulham for Clint Dempsey 24 hours after Carroll's exit and Rodgers's diplomacy could not disguise it.

Asked if he would have sanctioned Carroll's move knowing what was to come on Friday, Rodgers said only: "No." Asked how confident he was that a replacement was coming in when he allowed Carroll to go, he said: "Very." It was the admission that Owen is under consideration eight years after leaving Anfield and four months after being released by Manchester United that showed the desperation that now prevails.

"Any player that I believe can improve the squad I will look at. No question," added Rodgers. "We have a very small group – 19 players trained [on Saturday], with young players amongst that. I cannot say no." Owen has been offered a two-year contract worth a basic £1.5m a year by Stoke and can sign at any time as a free agent. Didier Drogba is not an option at presentas his contract with Shanghai Shenhua has not been cancelled.

How Arsenal revelled in Anfield's problems. Off the pitch, their supporters chanted "Andy Carroll, he would have scored that" as Jonjo Shelvey squandered a late chance. On it, the summer signings Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla scored Arsenal's first league goals of the season while Theo Walcott, a player Rodgers had hoped to sign and will make a renewed attempt for in January, sat on the bench throughout.

Liverpool had their moments and three penalty claims denied by the referee, Howard Webb, but otherwise no complaints at a merited defeat. This may not be the free-flowing, expansive Arsenal side of old but their midfield trio of Abou Diaby, Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla dominated their opponents and a third clean sheet of the season supported Wenger's conviction that the potential for vast improvement exists. Rodgers, by contrast, has yet to record a league win as Liverpool manager and this is the club's worst start after three games since 1962.

Whatever the ramifications from Liverpool's non-event of a transfer deadline day, Rodgers started with a potent lineup improved from last Sunday's draw with Manchester City by the return from suspension of Daniel Agger and the full debut of Nuri Sahin. Fabio Borini put efforts high and wide, Agger should have done better with a free header from a Steven Gerrard corner and Raheem Sterling spun and shot against the outside of the post after a knockdown from the Liverpool captain.

Gerrard's attempt at a first-time pass to Luis Suárez deep into Arsenal territory was to have damaging consequences, however. Podolski intercepted it and played a good ball through to Cazorla before sprinting half the length of the pitch for the return. Cazorla, calmness and awareness personified, delivered the return Podolski's effort deserved and the German international buried Arsenal's first league goal under Reina into the far corner of the goal in front of the Kop.

Olivier Giroud then wasted a clear chance to open his Arsenal account before Cazorla put the game beyond Liverpool. Again it was easily avoidable. The Spain international compounded a bad week for Liverpool and Reina – guilty of a poor error against Hearts in midweek – when he exchanged passes with Podolski and tried his luck with a shot hard and low. The ball flew under his compatriot's grasp and in.

Rodgers said: "The goals we conceded had nothing to do with systems or style, or the tactical element. We gave the ball away for the first goal and didn't do well enough to stop the shot. The second goal, we had enough bodies behind the ball to defend the goal. These are the hard yards you have to put in early on but I wouldn't change it for anything."

Liverpool had appealed loud but in vain for second half penalties when Per Mertesacker wrestled with Suárez and when the ball hit Thomas Vermaelen's arm, but rarely threatened a recovery. It was, in the grand scheme of things, the least of Rodgers's concerns.

As he explained: "It is a learning process for the owners as well. They have come in and invested well over £100m and then they have made the change for whatever reason and one of the most iconic figures in the club's history has left. They made the change and made a big commitment to have me here for the longer term.

"I have a group of people I worked well with and the owners have been very up front and honest with me. I have no problem with that. There are obviously one or two things we need to iron out but the owners have been very honest and haven't misled me in any way whatsoever. There are operational things we need to sort out and if we do that, that will help us in the next transfer window.

"I have spoken to people back in America since Friday. They have my thoughts. We move on and will reflect on it next week. The reality is not a lot is done in January but we certainly need help."
He would not expand any further. "It's gone," said Rodgers on the issue of Carroll, who can be recalled by Liverpool in January. The optimism and tranquillity he had hoped to find at Anfield has vanished too.

Man of the match: Abou Diaby (Arsenal)

Source: Andy Hunter, The Guardian on 2 Sep 12

Champion signings inspire Arsenal

Remember the date, but remember the goals, their style, their scorers and their significance too. It is not often Arsenal wait until September for their first strike of the season but a belated opener was not simply a statistical oddity. Lukas Podolski's effort was the first goal scored by one of Arsene Wenger's summer signings and the first since Robin van Persie decamped for Manchester United. Santi Cazorla's second sealed a victory to kick-start Arsenal's campaign with class.

Mentions of the departed Dutchman have been a constant and memories are not wiped overnight, but this was evidence there is life after Van Persie. Podolski's pace and Cazorla's quality are highlights of the new-look Arsenal. The addition of a clinical finisher on the left wing, something of a problem position last season, is one improvement; the arrival of a creator-in-chief to operate in the striker's slipstream another. Given Van Persie's brilliant brace at Anfield last season, the Spaniard's virtuoso display came in fitting surroundings.

And while Arsenal waited until September to get a goal, patience is a virtue Wenger often exhibits. He waited a year to get his man. Cazorla, first targeted last summer, was signed 12 months later and has slotted in seamlessly. "Everybody understood very quickly that Cazorla would not take six months to settle," Wenger said. He had impressed from his first silken touch but, importantly, a side who had prospered in possession against Sunderland and Stoke had an end product.

Goals do not just change games; they alter perceptions, seasons even. The suggestions Arsenal lacked ambition have less credence now. Any side constructed around Cazorla, the diminutive maestro, cannot be called mundane. Wenger's obstinacy and his husbandry may frustrate but he is in the black in 2012 and the fans' bête noire, Abou Diaby, provided a belated vindication of his manager's faith with a performance of unexpected excellence. There were hints of Patrick Vieira when the Frenchman strode purposefully from box to box. The failure to recruit Nuri Sahin, who spurned Arsenal for Liverpool, seemed less of a loss as the Turk endured an awkward debut.

The focus on the luminaries leaving the Emirates Stadium rather obscured the £40 million overhaul Wenger has given his side in the final third. Two of his three newcomers combined for the opener, Cazorla angling a pass in behind Glen Johnson for the advancing Podolski to dispatch his shot crisply. "Podolski is deadly when you give him a chance," said his manager. He has 44 goals for Germany and, now, one for Arsenal. Wenger rarely signs the finished article, but few have arrived at Arsenal with greater pedigree.

But it was a pattern that should concern Liverpool as they were carved open on the counter-attack. Ten minutes later, Diaby combined power and finesse with a forceful run and a deft pass. Olivier Giroud, the third of the costly newcomers, should have scored but sent his shot into the Kop. Still, two out of three ain't bad and with Podolski the provider, Cazorla became a scorer.

It was actually an elaborate one-two with the Spaniard evading Jonjo Shelvey before drilling a shot that Pepe Reina fumbled into his own net. The goalkeeper has completed the wrong sort of hat-trick, erring in three successive games, but focusing on his failings ignores the excellent build-up. "We could have done better with the second goal," Brendan Rodgers said.

While the Northern Irishman detected "some good signs", there was much they could have done better. Susceptible to the counter - attack at one end - Arsenal were able to find space behind Johnson - they were also overpowered in midfield, where Sahin and Joe Allen lack Diaby's imposing physique. Their most profitable avenue was the left flank: Raheem Sterling struck the post and capitalised on some rather nervy defending by both Carl Jenkinson and Per Mertesacker. And yet Arsenal have the immaculate defensive record, three games without conceding, and while stand-in goalkeeper Vito Mannone may not inspire confidence, their defiance was epitomised by the terrific Thomas Vermaelen, reacting quickest when he parried Shelvey's shot to deny Steven Gerrard a tap-in.

Rewind twelve months and Wenger's side conceded eight goals in their third game. That was a historic low for them, officially their worst defensive display for 115 years, and, statistically, this is one for Liverpool. On what would have been Bill Shankly's 99th birthday, Liverpool made it their worst start for half a century since the Scot's first year in the top flight. They can take hope from their conquerors' recent past. A year ago, Arsenal were supposedly in crisis, only to be rallied and rescued by Van Persie. Champions League football was his legacy and, in Cazorla, Arsenal have secured a champion signing.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Abou Diaby - Excellent as Cazorla was, Diaby was a revelation. Injuries meant he did not start a single league game last season but he has begun this campaign brilliantly. "He is a tremendous football player," said Wenger. "Now he looks physically in a good shape. There is more to come from him."

LIVERPOOL VERDICT: One regret may be that the definitive Rodgers player was in the visitors' side; Cazorla would suit the manager's style of play perfectly. A more pressing problem is the lack of forward options. No sooner had Stewart Downing been rebranded a left back than he was introduced on the right wing; none of Liverpool's other substitutes can play in the front three. The spearhead, Suarez, appealed for a series of penalties, and had one very plausible claim but, for the second successive Sunday, he and Fabio Borini were both profligate. In goal, Reina's form must be a cause for concern, though there is no plausible alternative.

ARSENAL VERDICT: Excellent. Wenger could, and should, make his side even stronger by bringing the substitute Laurent Koscielny back in, either for Jenkinson or Mertesacker. The giant German began poorly, though he redeemed himself with a superbly-timed challenge to dispossess Sterling in the box. Despite the failure to sign Sahin, Wenger outlined a plethora of midfield options. While not a conventional holding player, Mikel Arteta is playing the holding player with elegant efficiency, allowing the more athletic Diaby to bound forward. Of the three summer signings, only the wasteful Giroud is a worry.

Source: Richard Jolly, ESPN Soccernet on 2 Sep 12