1 November 2014

Arsenal claimed 3 points with a brace from Alexis Sánchez and Calum Chambers’ first Arsenal goal. The game saw Arsenal struggle to break down a resilient Burnley defense, before Alexis Sánchez’s header broke the deadlock on 70 minutes. Arsenal gained enough confidence to wrap up the win by the 72nd minute, where Chambers scored from a penalty box scramble. Sánchez then showed quick feet to sort out a low Kieran Gibbs cross to put the ball past Tom Heaton again in the 93rd minute, all but sealing 3 deserved points for the Gunners.

While this game saw Arsenal attack with improved cohesion (albeit against the league’s poorest side thus far), defensively Arsenal were found wanting on a few occasions. This was mainly due to Arsenal’s shape and movement.

Before the match, I had predicted that would line-up in such a manner, with a roving attacking triumvirate of Alexis, Chamberlain and Cazorla. In addition, the two full backs in Gibbs and Chambers were expected to get high up the pitch to provide options for our attack. It’s evident here that the duo were often high up the pitch, adding width and variety to our attack.

And this is where I’ll begin my analysis of Arsenal’s performance. While Arsenal were displaying more attacking cohesion with good movement from Gibbs and Chambers (more on that later), this screenshot shows the exact problem Arsenal always face. Moments before, Welbeck loses the ball in midfield and Boyd runs at the two base midfielders (Flamini and Arteta). He simply plays a one-two with Danny Ings, and here, Gibbs is out of sight in this picture, Chambers rushing back and Flamini almost static. Essentially it’s a 3-on-3 situation created by a simple one-two, where Boyd and Ings just run past our deep-lying midfielders.

Defensive Woes (Again…): This happens week in, week out and what further perplexes me is the argument some supporters put forth that Arteta is a good reader of the game. Perhaps in the attacking sense he does display good vision but it is of my view that he’s poor at intercepting passes. Up until today, he’s only made an average of 0.7 interceptions per game in the Premier League – an absolutely worrying figure especially when he’s the one holding the fort for us every week.

Flamini, meanwhile, has shown that while he is a decent tackler, he’s prone to moments of madness. In the Sunderland game, for instance, he went in with an absolutely rash challenge and was arguably fortuitous to escape a yellow card. In this match he also displayed lapses of concentration. This highlights the need for a specialist anchor man who will sit in front of the 2 centre backs and break up play. If we are to do well for the rest of the season, it would be inane to field the pairing of Arteta and Flamini. As shown in big games last season, teams of superior technical quality (i.e. Hull) can and will punish us.

Improved Cohesion: One aspect of this game I enjoyed, nonetheless, was the attacking movement which was refreshing. Following the previous weeks of dull football where we really struggled to get going, it was almost a relief to see the Arsenal front four attack with more vigour and movement. Compared to the Sunderland game, Arsenal were more dynamic and began to create more chances nearer to the six-yard box. Overall, the movement was just better and while the team has not necessarily fully gelled together, it is always encouraging to see the attackers improve week by week.

Alexis: Wenger’s purchase of Alexis, in my view, could prove to be a masterstroke in multiple aspects. Firstly, his performances have been sensational and in this game he showed why he’s so crucial, showing that urgency and bravery to challenge a 6’4″ centre-back in an aerial battle.. Technically, physically and psychologically he is almost the quintessential role model that the Arsenal players have to learn from. More intriguingly, however, I think that while the big-money signing on Özil has yet to fully justify its price tag, Wenger will be more encouraged to sign more costly players especially since Alexis’ purchase has proven to be something of a masterstroke now.

Confidence? In Arsène Wenger’s post-match press conference, he remarked that “for the confidence of the team it’s also important to win without conceding a goal.” This match undoubtedly provides Arsenal with a much-needed boost considering it was one of the more satisfying wins in recent times. The last ten minutes of this game, too, was probably the best spell of football we’ve played since the 2-2 draw to Manchester City. With Arsenal starting to find their feet and gain stability (we’re now unbeaten in our last four if that’s how we want to look at it), the positives outweigh the negatives, at least in the short-term.