It seems a little ridiculous that the Gunners had to score four goals to truly put this match to bed when, again, leading 2-0 at the break, the game should have been shut down in the second half with Villa never getting anywhere near any sort of result.
The problem seems to be that this Arsenal’s idea of “shutting a game down” is to slow the tempo of their play and make their passing movements even more elaborate and lacking in any real purpose. This doesn’t work as a tactic as the team loses its momentum and possession is given away as the endless passages of passing dry up.
This was perfectly exemplified when, having conceded an early goal in the second half, Marouane Chamakh quickly restored the two-goal cushion. At this point, everything slowed down and Villa were allowed back into a match that they had no right to take anything from. Though the Ciaran Clark’s first goal should have been ruled out for offside against John Carew, his second saw him given plenty of time by the Arsenal defence to pick his spot.
Last week, I complained that they played too high up the pitch against Spurs in the second half and invited their visitors to hit them on the break. Against Villa, they tried to be more conservative but it seems they don’t really know how to contain opponents and strangle the life out of games. They got away with it at Everton, Wolves and yesterday at Villa but when they come up against better sides – and it begrudges me to say that Spurs are one of those – this factor is going to be a recurring problem.
The remainder of the match saw Villa give the Arsenal fans a few heart-attack moments and it was only when Jack Wilshere’s diving header hit the net in stoppage time that the victory could genuinely be celebrated.
The result and three points aside, Wilshere’s individual display was one of the real highlights of yesterday’s performance. In the absence of Cesc Fabregas, he took the role of anchoring the midfield completely in his stride. His passing was crisp and accurate and he rarely seems to put a foot wrong. He shows a confidence far beyond his years. It really is quite incredible considering his youth and lack of experience.
His goal - the first he has scored in the Premier League - was a perfect and deserved finale to a thoroughly accomplished performance and, hopefully, it will fire him with more confidence to chance his arm going forward a little more in future.
Elsewhere, Marouane Chamakh and Samir Nasri once again turned in good displays. These two are emerging as some of the most reliable performers in the squad this season. It was good to see Andrey Arshavin get on the scoresheet too but he still resides in the category of promising much but delivering not enough.
So, even with its flaws, the win at Villa was a tonic after the recent defeats and will hopefully help get the team back on track. It was a definite boost ahead of Tuesday’s Carling Cup quarter-final against Wigan. Many see this tournament as the Gunners’ most obvious route to silverware this season and a home draw in the quarter-finals is most welcome after having to negotiate trips to Spurs and Newcastle in the earlier rounds.
Much will depend on the strength of the team that Arsene Wenger decides to field. However, the manager has not held back in this competition this year and it seems unlikely that he will change tack now with a semi-final at stake. Though he will probably ring the changes from Saturday’s starting line-up, one can’t imagine him digging too far into the youth squad for this game.
Source: David Young, ESPN Soccernet on 29 Nov 10
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