Arsenal began their campaign with a 0-0 draw against the Black Cats. 18 Yard Box analyses the performance of the Gunners.
After 3 weeks of heavy spending, Arsenal looked to be a team to look out for this season. The arrivals of Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla had the Gunners dreaming of a silverware after 7 barren spells. However Robin Van Persie had other ideas.
Van Persie’s decision to jump the ship in search for greener pastures was expected. But making Manchester United his next destination left a bitter taste in the mouth of not only fans but also the players. Arsenal took on a resurgent Sunderland a day after his departure to kick off their campaign. Here is what we learnt from Arsenal’s first game of the 2012-13 season.
Martin O’ Neil- An ever existing road-block for Arsenal
Martin O’ Neil has created problems for many big teams during his time at Aston Villa manager. A person who can be deemed as the ‘giant killer’ has always troubled Arsenal. Where many managers are left guessing as to how to stop Arsenal’s free flowing game, O’Neil’s strategy against Wenger’s play is perfect- Park the bus and catch Arsenal on counter. Sunderland defended stoutly to restrict the red army from breaking the deadlock.
Cesc wont be missed this season
Cesc’s departure last year coupled with Wilshere’s year long injury saw the Gunners struggle to find the right midfield combination last season. Eventually Rosicky came to their rescue. However, the arrival of Santi Cazorla might change all that. The Spanish international looked very comfortable with the Gunners’ style of play as he linked with Podolski and Giroud pretty well. Creating many chances, he also took shots at goal showing his long range shooting abilities. Although Cazorla’s concentration was right up there at the top, his physical fitness has to be taken care of. It will be critical to say the former Malaga man showed signs of tiring early in the second half but it has to be taken into account that Premier League’s pace takes the wind out of the best players’ sails. Cazorla alongwith his Spanish counterpart Arteta and returning Wilshere looks to have solved Arsenal’s midfield crisis.
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| Santi was the man of the match against Sunderland |
Key Stats: Santi Cazorla
Games started
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1
|
Assists
|
0
|
Shots at goal
|
4
|
Shots on target
|
1
|
Arsene Wenger’s eternal love for Walcott never fades
The former Saint’s midfielder has grown under Wenger’s guidance but it should be said that he hasn’t lived up to the expectations. The second highest goal scorer for Arsenal last season, Walcott’s play is unidimensional. Although he has got pace, with no tricks up his sleeves, Walcott turns out to more of a flop than a hit. His crossing abilities have improved last season but it is still not consistent enough to trouble the best of defences. However Arsene Wenger seems to have utmost faith in the winger and has started him every possible match including the one against Sunderland. Again he proved futile as he had only a couple of decent crosses and a half decent shot at goal to show for his play.
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| Theo Walcott will have to do a lot more to impress the fans |
Arsenal’s play predictable?
Arsene Wenger’s over reliance on the 4-2-3-1 formation has caused their game to become predictable. Although it works most of the times, Sunderland showed teams of how to battle against such a formation. Wenger’ failure with rotations and also sticking to one formation saw his team have tough time against Sunderland.
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| Arsenal's 4-2-3-1 formation against Sunderland |
The Dutch shoes still to be filled
Departure of Robin Van Persie has left Arsenal with a gaping hole up front. They only have Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud, Maroune Chamakh and Park Chu Young to take care of the goal-scoring department. Lukas Podolski went straight into the starting XI but showed signs of his old self at Bayern Munich. Though great things can be expected of the 100 times capped German international. Arsenal fans’ biggest worry is Olivier Giroud. Although he topped the French Ligue 1 goal-scoring charts, Giroud missed a sitter which could have won the game for the Gunners. Arsenal fans can take peace from the fact the 26 year-old Frenchman as he looked keen to get on the ball. He adds a new dimension to Arsenal’s play which Van Persie lacked. Giroud’s heading ability alongwith his shooting prowess makes him the man to watch out for despite of his shambolic miss. However Arsenal will look to sort out their striking department sooner rather than later to avoid further disappointments.
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| Giroud will rue his miss if Arsenal lose the season by a point |
Comment : Arsenal failed to score a 3 pointer on their opening day fixture but they can be happy of what they have witnessed on the field. The new signings look convincing (except for the miss) to end Gunners’ trophy drought.
Written By,
Rishabh Ghai
Rishabh Ghai is a writer who writes for Goal.com India and also is an Editor and writer for 18 Yard Box
Rishabh Ghai
Rishabh Ghai is a writer who writes for Goal.com India and also is an Editor and writer for 18 Yard Box
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