Arsenal host Burnley in the FA Cup 4th Round on Saturday, when the Gunners will look for their first victory since their 3rd-Round triumph over Sunderland on January 9.
These
three winless winter weeks have left Arsenal if not desperate for, then
certainly in need of, a strong performance and a positive result. A
home cup tie against a Championship side presents an opportunity to
spark 2016 to life.
In addition to the overall urgency and the
theoretically ripe opponent, the return of several important players
should provide the impetus for improvement on Saturday.
In his 30
minutes of action against Chelsea last Sunday, the dynamic Alexis
Sanchez showed flashes of the energy, skill, and imagination that pose
opponents such problems. He’ll be available from the start on Saturday,
offering a threat that Burnley defenders aren’t accustomed to.
Saturday’s
match will also signal the easing of Arsenal’s midfield crisis with the
reintroduction of Francis Coquelin, out since injuring his knee at West
Bromwich Albion in late November, and Tomas Rosicky, who hasn’t
appeared in a first-team Arsenal match since a nine-minute cameo against
Sunderland in May 2015.
The midfield will be further bolstered by
the appearance of the newest Arsenal player, Mohammed Elneny.
Observers, supporters, the coaching staff, and his teammates are all no
doubt interested to see what the January acquisition can bring to the
squad. Indications are the Egyptian will have an opportunity to show
that from the start.
Thanks to this improving personnel situation,
manager Arsène Wenger has more luxury to choose his lineup against
Burnley, and supporters have reason to be optimistic. There are several
reasons to be cautious, however.
First, the Gunners have a
challenging league date with Southampton on Tuesday. Wenger will want to
position his team for optimum performance that evening, for three
reasons:
- To stay in close contention for the league lead
- To cleanse the psyche of the 4-0 drubbing at Southampton’s hands in December
- To rebound from recent lackluster results
As
is so often the case with cup competitions, the manager must balance
what’s needed for success on the day with his longer-term objectives and
the freshness of the playing squad.
In that context, how much
leeway does the manager enjoy to field players who are new to each other
or who have little recent experience together? Although there are now
several legitimate candidates for starting roles, a midfield completely
remade from recent matches in front of a central defensive pairing that
is, by necessity, not first choice seems risky.
Not least because
Burnley are no pushovers. The Clarets are one of the form teams of the
Championship, having gone five games unbeaten in the league to reach
third position. They’re coming into Saturday’s fixture on the heels of a
4-1 dismantling of fellow contenders Derby County. And they’re not that
far removed, either in personnel or time, from the team that gave
Arsenal a real test at Turf Moor last April.
Statistically, Burnley aren’t remarkable. They have taken relatively few shots per game (11.4, ranking 21st of 24 Championship teams) and allow relatively high numbers of shots per game (14.4, ranking 3rd). They stand last in tackles per game and don’t commit that many fouls, relatively speaking.
Where
the Clarets have made a mark is on set pieces. They’ve scored 13 goals
from corners, crossed free kicks, and direct free kicks and four goals
from penalties. That suggests that Burnley will try to copy the trend
among less accomplished Premier League sides, described by 7amKickoff here, and draw fouls in areas whence they can launch dangerous free kicks.
If
Burnley succeed in this effort, they’ll test the organization of
Arsenal’s rejiggered defense. But if Arsenal can limit those
opportunities and keep the game flowing, the Gunners should pass this
test, move to the last 16 of the competition, and establish a foundation
for the important matches to come.
Key Matchup
The
Arsenal midfield against Joey Barton. In all likelihood, Burnley
manager Sean Dyche will arrange his team in a 4-4-2 formation with
strikers Sam Vokes and Andre Gray combining for the offensive threat.
That will leave Burnley a man light in midfield, where veteran
instigator Joey Barton will be charged with minimizing the impact of
Arsenal’s superior numbers and skill. It’ll be a rude inaugural for
Elneny, and the ability of the Egyptian to thrive in that situation will
tell us a lot about his potential.
Where to Worry
Burnley
are experts at set pieces, and if Barton and his teammates manage to
draw Arsenal into a chippy, stop-start encounter, a strike from a dead
ball is a possibility.
Match Verdict
It’d
be unwise to assume an easy Arsenal win here. Burnley have quality and
application that could trouble the Gunners, even at home. But I think
Arsenal will be both energetic and persistent, and the Gunners’ superior
talent will carry the day.
Players to Watch
Arsenal. Alexis. The
Chilean seemed raring to go when he entered the Chelsea match. Although
he was rusty, he pushed the team forward and hustled back when
defensive cover was necessary. Burnley won’t have seen his like in the
Championship and will find him hard to handle.
Burnley. Andre Gray.
The 24-year-old Welsh forward has notched 15 goals in 23 appearances
for Burnley, including five in his last five matches. Three of his 15
goals have come from the penalty spot. He’s the Clarets’ main attacking
threat and will work with teammate Sam Vokes to divide the attentions of
Arsenal’s two center halves.
A first-half red card induced by Chelsea’s Diego Costa and a goal by
the Chelsea striker sent Arsenal to a 1-0 home defeat on Sunday.
With
the loss, the Gunners dropped out of first place in the Premier League
and now sit just two points ahead of fourth-placed Tottenham.
The incident in the 17th
minute, when Per Mertesacker found himself on the wrong side of Costa
and tried a last-ditch tackle, obviously changed the dynamic of the
match and rendered most analysis meaningless. Still, here are three
things we learned from the encounter.
Arsenal paid for the risks of its high line
The
potential of a disastrous defensive moment is real when Arsenal employ a
high line. The coordination between Mertesacker and his partner Laurent
Koscielny has to be perfect, and their teammates higher up the pitch
must put pressure on the ball to prevent the easy pass. If either of
those elements is missing, the opposition has an opportunity to break
beyond the Gunners’ defense.
That’s what happened when Chelsea’s
Willian lost Aaron Ramsey in midfield, saw Arsenal’s other midfielder
Mathieu Flamini back off, and picked the pass to Costa as he ran off
Mertesacker’s shoulder. Koscielny and Mertesacker stepped up a smidge in
an effort to catch Chelsea’s striker offside, but that was the wrong
decision, taken in a split-second with no room for error.
We’ve
seen similar series of events in previous matches this season. At
Swansea, Jonjo Shelvy pushed the ball through the midfield and connected
with Bafetimbi Gomis, who skirted Mertesacker while Koscielny stepped
up. Against Newcastle, Ayoze Perez captured an errant pass in midfield
and found an open Georgino Wijnaldum. In both those cases, Arsenal
keeper Petr Cech came to the rescue, and Arsenal went on to win.
Mertesacker’s
challenge, Costa’s theatrical tumble, and referee Mark Clattenburg’s
red card prevented Cech from having the opportunity to save the day
again.
In matches that turn on such small margins and
instantaneous individual decisions, the risks of the high line require
better collective management.
No one should fault Arsenal players for their effort
Even
reduced to ten men with Mertesacker’s expulsion, the Gunners looked
livelier than their opponents. They amassed 47 percent possession, which
is remarkable for a team suffering a numerical disadvantage for 70
minutes, fashioned six corners, and found themselves with decent looks
at goal on several occasions.
The problem was that Chelsea’s
defenders kept most of Arsenal’s activity in front of them. When one of
Arsenal’s wide players got the ball in the attacking third, there were
no credible targets for a cross into the penalty area.
So
Arsenal’s fullbacks often carried the ball long distances, particularly
Hector Bellerin, who was a frequent threat on the right. He succeeded in
bypassing several Chelsea players on occasion but ran into resistance
as he got nearer goal. From Arsenal’s left, Nacho Monreal found himself
open in the penalty area late in the match but couldn’t create a shot.
All
this attacking from the fullbacks left the Gunners open to
counterattacks, and Chelsea did get into spaces that more clinical teams
would have exploited for the killer blow. Some acknowledgement is due
Koscielny and Gabriel, Mertesacker’s replacement, for their work
managing these late Chelsea attacks, though the pair must share some
responsibility for Costa’s goal.
Arsène Wenger does not shirk tough decisions
The
Arsenal manager’s call to sacrifice center forward Olivier Giroud in
order to introduce Gabriel sparked considerable debate. Would Arsenal
have been better served with the target and ball control Giroud offers,
rather than the speed provided by Theo Walcott?
It’s a reasonable
question. Just as Wenger’s choice of Walcott over Giroud--made with much
more information than we have--was a reasonable one.
Overall, the
manager had to account for the three fourths of the match that remained
after Mertesacker’s red card. He had to consider the fitness of the
players, the likely approach of his opponents, and his team’s best
chance to succeed.
Reports that Giroud had suffered an injury in
training may have factored in the decision. If that injury would have
forced Giroud off at some point anyway, it made sense to replace him
early.
Let’s also remember that the match was scoreless at the
time, making it more likely that Chelsea would push forward and leave
themselves vulnerable to a counterattack. This dynamic would have worked
to the strengths of Walcott, not Giroud. Wenger did not foresee that
Chelsea would score so early and then, despite a man advantage, sit back
and soak up Arsenal’s pressure. That pattern of play would have favored
Giroud.
Extra Time
Normally I turn the
sound off when I’m watching matches. I don’t find NBC’s commentators
insightful or instructive, as a general rule. On Sunday, I wanted to get
a sense of the atmosphere, so I didn’t mute the sound.
I wish I had.
The
main reason was the insistence of analyst and ex-Chelsea man Graeme Le
Saux that Mesut Özil’s “body language” was the giveaway to a poor
performance by the German. Rather than examine the setup of the Arsenal
team once reduced to ten men or explain how Chelsea were containing
Arsenal’s creative players, Le Saux harped on the appearance or carriage
of Özil.
This is armchair psychology masquerading as analysis and absolutely no help to understanding a match.
Arsenal’s tests shift to England’s Northeast from its Northwest with
Sunday’s visit to Stoke City. It’s a challenging fixture under any
circumstances—Arsenal have just one win in seven Premier League matches
there—and so soon after Wednesday’s grueling, frustrating draw at
Liverpool, Stoke is a truly trying trip.
The good news is that the
Gunners move on from disappointments much more quickly than their
supporters do. We’ve seen recent evidence of this, when the 4-0 pasting
at Southampton led not to a collapse as 2015 turned to 2016 but instead
to three victories in short order.
And even if the legs remain
weary, the prospect of Alexis Sanchez’s return is energizing. Although
results have been solid in his absence (W7, D1, L1), Arsenal could
certainly benefit from the Chilean’s infectious verve. A midwinter match
at Stoke City seems like the perfect occasion.
In this occasion,
as in all, perfection may elude us. Manager Arsène Wenger would be
taking a major risk by immediately calling on Alexis. A re-aggravation
of his hamstring injury, a problem related to compensating for his
original injury, or consequences of Stoke’s infamously physical play
could restrict last season’s star man from contributing substantially to
Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge.
Wenger is well aware of the difficulty of this decision. He told his pre-match press conference:
Alexis,
I would say has a 60:40 chance to be available and be back in the
squad. He has two decisive days - Friday and Saturday. He is fit, he has
worked very hard, and the decision we have to take is whether to take a
gamble or not on his injury.
One of the manager’s
clear considerations is the threat Alexis adds to Arsenal’s attack.
Without him, opponents can focus on playmaker Mesut Özil, even
man-marking the league’s top provider out of the game, as Southampton
did. Alexis’s unpredictability, quickness, and determination will punish
a team structured to stop anyone else.
Equally important is
Alexis’s contribution to the Gunners’ efforts without the ball. He’s the
key to Arsenal’s press in forward areas and forms an effective
partnership with left back Nacho Monreal when opponents advance. Alexis
can also help defend the middle of the pitch, where the midfielders
Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini have shown they’d benefit from
additional cover.
Despite the myriad ways in which Alexis
strengthens this Arsenal team, the feeling here is that the manager will
deploy him as a substitute. Wenger fancies a gamble, but perhaps not
now with a prize asset he needs for as many of the remaining 16 league
matches as possible.
Key Matchup
Joel
Campbell against Erik Pieters. Arsenal’s once forsaken Costa Rican has
risen to impressive form of late, creating danger with timely runs and
clever passes from the right of Arsenal’s attack. He’ll need all his
decisiveness and skill to outmaneuver Stoke’s well-drilled defensive
unit and experienced and physical left back.
Where to Worry
Stoke
have bombed Arsenal with crosses in the past, and the Gunners will need
to limit that supply. But this season, the Potters have added speed and
creativity to their weaponry, as their quick strikes against Manchester
City showed. Keeping playmaker Bojan Krkic in check and marking the
runs of Marko Arnautovic will be extremely important.
Match Verdict
It
takes little perspicacity to see this match as a physical and mental
gantlet. Even without the tricky Xherdan Shaqiri, Stoke have enough in
attack to hurt Arsenal. And the Potters still deploy a solid, physical,
potentially frustrating defense. But this Arsenal team has a way of
succeeding despite the obvious obstacles, and we think they’ll do so
again.
Players to Watch:
Arsenal. Olivier Giroud. The
front man took a beating against Liverpool, got patched up, and
returned to score two exquisite goals. That increased his total to 18 in
all competitions this season. If he can outwit (not difficult) and
outmuscle (more difficult) head Orc Ryan Shawcross, Arsenal will
succeed.
Stoke City. Ibrahim Affelay. Several
Stoke players may grab the camera’s attention more than the Dutch
midfielder does, but his deployment will dictate the match’s dynamic. If
he works deeper in the midfield, he’ll be assigned to control Özil,
meaning manager Mark Hughes is placing the priority on defending. If he
takes a more advanced role, that will reveal Hughes’s attacking intent.
Arsenal’s FA Cup match against Sunderland on Saturday presents an interesting interpretive choice.
There’s
the historical angle, focusing on the club’s unparalleled success in
the competition. With last May’s demolition of Aston Villa in the final,
Arsenal became the most frequent winner of the FA Cup, and manager
Arsène Wenger lifted the trophy for the sixth time, more than any other
manager in the modern era.
This perspective also features the
fillip the FA Cup has been to the club in recent years. After a decade
without a title, Arsenal marked a true revival with the 3-2 win after
extra time over Hull City in the 2014 Final. The joy of players, staff,
and supporters worldwide was memorable and meaningful, and the
performance set the stage for the team to master big occasions in 2015.
We
therefore must acknowledge the influence the competition has had on
Arsenal’s trajectory. Navigating the current cup campaign to a third
consecutive trophy, a feat not accomplished since Blackburn Rovers did
it in 1886, would seem a fitting next chapter in that narrative.
Wenger
has paid homage to his own and Arsenal’s FA Cup record, while turning
his gaze, as ever, to the challenge in front of them.
It’s a good
challenge [to try to win three in a row], and we’ll take it on. We have
the desire to do well and to do it again. Let’s see how we get on in the
first test, and let’s deal with that. We have enough confidence, enough
desire, so let’s turn up with a positive performance.(Arsenal.com)
Here
Wenger is turning to the second angle of interpretation, the one
focusing on the immediate. Arsenal are in position to grasp a bigger
prize, the Premier League title, and face two difficult road matches in
the eight days after Saturday’s cup contest—at Liverpool on Wednesday,
January 13, and then at Stoke City on Sunday, January 17. Given the
grueling schedule the team just endured over the holiday period, the FA
Cup encounter looks less of a priority.
Sunderland has its own
reasons for de-emphasizing Saturday’s match: The Black Cats are fighting
for survival in the Premier League and have two daunting matches of
their own, a trip to Swansea that could reshuffle the relegation deck
and another visit to London against Tottenham, in the next week.
As a result, the speculation is that both sides will rest vital players on Saturday.
That
will present opportunities for some squad players to stake claims to
more first-team action and for a few first teamers to gain some form and
confidence. Prominent in the latter group at Arsenal is Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain, the subject of considerable jawboning as he
experiences a difficult season. An energetic and intelligent performance
against Sunderland may be just the thing to spark Oxlade-Chamberlain
into contributions commensurate with his talent.
Meanwhile, it’ll
be interesting to see how Wenger uses youngsters Alex Iwobi and Jeff
Reine-Adelaide. The pair of attackers has made the substitutes’ bench in
recent Premier League fixtures due to the raft of first-team injuries,
and Saturday’s contest seems an appropriate occasion to increase their
involvement.
Wenger has been cagey about the scope of squad
rotation, though. He has said “At the moment, I make two or three
changes maximum,” while at the same time he’s described Reine-Adelaide
as “mature enough to cope with the challenges of the Premier League, and
he has technique as well.”
Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce has
been far less coy. He has called the schedule “diabolical” and argued,
“Don’t give me stick when I change the side at Arsenal.” Whether this is
an adept feint or revealing only Saturday’s teamsheet will reveal.
Because
identifying the starters is so difficult—and knowing each other isn’t
straightforward for the makeshift teams, either—it’s tough to foresee
the dynamics of the match. In general, Arsenal will probably enjoy more
possession, while Sunderland tries to maintain its defensive
organization and pose danger on the counterattack. Neither manager will
want a replay, though, so the teams will attack to force a result.
If
that means that an Arsenal player or two emerge with a more positive
view of their skill and potential contribution, this match could become
another memorable mark in the club’s FA Cup history.
Players to Watch:
Arsenal. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. This
match offers prime conditions for Oxlade-Chamberlain. He’ll go up
against replacement defenders and midfielders unaccustomed to his speed
and strength in a relatively low-pressure contest. He’s shown a knack
for scoring in cup games as well.
Sunderland. Duncan Watmore.
The speedy winger might be a regular starter that Allardyce sends out
on Saturday as well. That’s because he hasn’t played a full season and
poses a serious threat on the counterattack, as evidenced by his work in
the sides’ Premier League encounter.
The aesthetics of Arsenal’s 2015-16 Premier League campaign certainly
turned on that moment in Norwich when midfielder Santi Cazorla
unwittingly swung his leg into Norwich City’s Gary O’Neill. In that
split second, Cazorla ruptured a knee ligament and joined midfield
partner Francis Coquelin on the sidelines until early spring.
When
the severity of Cazorla’s injury became known, there was no question
manager Arsène Wenger would have to change personnel: The only two
plausible midfielders available were Mathieu Flamini and Aaron Ramsey.
The issue was whether Wenger would rethink the team’s formation and
style to adjust for the absence of two essential players.
Evolution of the status quo
Flamini
and Ramsey have now played six matches together—against Sunderland,
Aston Villa, Manchester City, Southampton, and Newcastle in the league
and against Olympiacos in the Champions League. Halfway through those
fixtures, it appeared that the differences between this midfield of
necessity and its preferred predecessor were subtle but not substantive.
The formation remained a 4-2-3-1, for example, with the likely
candidates simply replacing their injured colleagues.
Over the
festive period, however, the differences became more pronounced. In
particular, where Coquelin and Cazorla had emerged as a
well-coordinated, if unlikely, pairing, Flamini and Ramsey grew less and
less synchronized. Their divergence was made clear by the performance
of Calum Chambers in Flamini’s stead against Bournemouth: In his first
outing as Ramsey’s midfield partner, the neophyte looked more integrated
and influential than Flamini did against Southampton or Newcastle.
Let’s
be clear about two things, though: 1. The sample size remains small,
particularly when it comes to Chambers’s involvement; and 2. The effects
have not been the catastrophe many expected.
Since Coquelin’s
injury against West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal have played nine matches,
winning seven, drawing one, and losing one. That’s a successful run,
accomplished in large part (six of the nine matches) without last year’s
top scorer Alexis Sanchez.
Any criticism of “Flamsey” can’t rest on the results, then.
Instead,
the critique seems to focus on the aesthetics. This isn’t meaningless,
because we follow the Arsenal in part for the team’s artfulness and
because those style points might reveal imperfections that, on other
days, could cost the Gunners points in the league table.
In an
effort to analyze the dynamics of the current midfield, the rest of this
article examines the team’s orientation, its movement from defense to
attack, and its defensive framework.
Orientation
Although
Arsenal’s setup has remained a 4-2-3-1, there’s often much more space
between Flamini and Ramsey than there had been between Coquelin and
Cazorla. The average position graphics for each match on Arsenal.com
make this point clear. Keep in mind these are composite renderings, so
that at any given moment a player might be operating far from his
indicated location.
For example, against Watford, the map shows Coquelin and Cazorla almost on top of each other. They were a little farther apart against Everton (map) and against Swansea (map), but in all three cases they took up central positions connected to each other and to their teammates.
The
positions of their teammates are also interesting. As we’d expect from
watching Wenger’s recent teams, fullbacks Nacho Monreal and Hector
Bellerin offer the width, while the wide attacking players Alexis and
Ramsey drift inward. And, as would befit standard operating positions,
playmaker Mesut Özil works just behind the center forward, whether
that’s Olivier Giroud or Theo Walcott.
For comparison, let’s look
at the typical positions with Flamini and Ramsey in midfield. As Adrian
Clarke pointed out on his ever-excellent Breakdown segment, acres of space separated Flamini and Ramsey against Newcastle (map).
But in their other matches together, the distances, on average, are
comparable to what we saw from Coquelin and Cazorla. Perhaps mental
fatigue played a part in this development last Saturday, prompting
Flamini to retreat slightly and Ramsey to advance, truer to their
instincts.
With the Flamini-Ramsey midfield so far, Özil often
finds himself in the most advanced position, even ahead of Giroud. This
change might partly be a result of Giroud’s enhanced and more adept
involvement in the buildup of play. Ramsey’s instincts forward might
also be a factor; with Ramsey pushing up, Özil does not need to drop
deeper to receive the ball.
Distribution
Indeed,
we see different patterns of distribution and circulation with Flamini
and Ramsey in midfield. Though the destination, as before, is Özil.
Cazorla
served as the hub, receiving passes from both center backs, Per
Metesacker and Laurent Koscielny, in comparable proportions and working
the ball forward to Özil. Against Watford and Everton, Cazorla-to-Özil
was Arsenal’s most frequent passing combination, while against Swansea
it was tied for third. Meanwhile, a pattern developed on the left, where
Monreal linked with Alexis frequently. (Stats from FourFourTwo's
StatsZone)
A less diversified pattern has emerged since the Flamini-Ramsey pair debuted against Sunderland.
Ramsey
has replaced Cazorla as the conduit to Özil, but he’s less likely to
receive the ball from both center backs. It’s more often Koscielny who
passes to Ramsey from defense; Mertesacker has been much less involved
than he was with Cazorla.
This may have little to do with
Cazorla’s exit and Ramsey’s arrival. Instead, the opposition may be
putting pressure on Mertesacker so that he can’t jumpstart the offense,
which he does so effectively. That’s opened lanes for Koscielny to
exploit.
Cover
While the relationships
between defenders and midfielders are important to the attack, they’re
probably more important when Arsenal don’t have the ball. Midfielders
support their rear guard to fend off opposition attacks by intercepting,
tackling, blocking, or just outnumbering the offense.
In these
duties, Coquelin excels. But Cazorla is no slouch defender. His
collaboration with Monreal was particularly effective, as shown by their
shutdown of Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez in Arsenal’s 5-2 win in
September.
Cazorla and Coquelin also adeptly patrolled the
approaches to Arsenal’s penalty area, reducing the threats of
through-balls and shots.
Ramsey and Flamini seem to provide less
security. That’s not just a general impression; it’s apparent in the
diagrams of defensive interventions and heatmaps. It’s also evident in
the statistics, as this “By the Numbers” analysis by 7AMKickoff details.
There
are several forces at work here. One is that Ramsey’s attacking
instincts take him into the opponent’s third more frequently, leaving
him with a longer retreat if Arsenal lose the ball. Another is that he
and Flamini switch sides without the ball, so at some points Ramsey is
supporting Monreal on the left and at others he’s working with Bellerin
on the right. This might inhibit the development of a comfortable
defensive relationship. It also has to be said that the 31-year-old
Flamini has a narrower area of activity than Coquelin, 24.
The result is that opponents have found more areas to exploit, both centrally and on the flanks.
Implications
Thus
far, these variations and imperfections haven’t prevented Arsenal from
succeeding. The Gunners now top the table, whereas they sat fourth after
drawing with Norwich. Despite what is essentially a 15-player senior
squad, Arsenal secured nine points from the 12 available during the
festive period, bettered only by Tottenham’s 10 from 12.
We should
not forget those bare facts amidst the concerns, criticisms, and
dissatisfactions about the aesthetics of the team’s play. At the same
time, this analysis might help us understand the manager’s priorities,
decisions, and instructions as other challenging matches approach.
Arsenal labored to a 1-0 victory over Newcastle on Saturday to close the busy festive schedule with three wins in four matches.
In
the 72nd minute, Laurent Koscielny slipped behind the Newcastle defense
after a corner kick and stabbed home Olivier Giroud's header for the
game's lone goal. This scrappy goal--and some heroics from goalkeeper
Petr Cech--were enough to secure the Gunners' place at the top of the
Premier League table after 20 matches.
Here are three things we learned from the encounter.
Arsenal can win without humming
This
was far from a scintillating Arsenal performance. You can understand
the reasons: A fourth league match in 13 days with a squad reduced by
injury to 15 senior players.
Manager Arsène Wenger admitted his team struggled. "Our legs were heavy, I must say," he told his post-match press conference.
He elaborated on the implications: "To not drop points with the way we
played today, I think it is very important. It helps the team as well
because you go through moments where you don’t play well. The memory of
having done that before and still having won the game, helps you to hang
on sometimes."
Indeed, it wasn't the first time this season the
Gunners have won despite not being at their best. League victories over
Everton and Aston Villa soon after tough European fixtures come
immediately to mind.
Some will view those performances as
concerning; others will say that one mark of champions is to win while
playing relatively poorly. What can't be in dispute is the immediate
consequence of this victory, three points that give Arsenal two points
more than second-place Leicester City at the top of the Premier League
table.
And a total of nine points from the 12 available during the
holiday period. That's a solid return, as good as any team's over that
stretch, pending the outcome of Tottenham's match at Everton late on
Sunday.
As Wenger said, "I think we have given a lot during
Christmas and we have had games before over Christmas. At the end of the
day what do people look at after Christmas? Four games and how many
points you have made. Nine points is acceptable or even good."
Petr Cech delivered another victory
After
the opening ten minutes, Arsenal posed very little attacking threat
until Koscielny's winning goal. Meanwhile, Newcastle grew stronger and
had several decent looks at Cech's goal.
In fact, the Magpies
produced more shots on goal (six) than did Arsenal (three). Cech parried
them all, the most impressive his one-on-one stop of Georginio
Wijnaldum in the 48th minute.
Because this save established the conditions for Arsenal to secure all three points, it's worth describing it in some detail.
Newcastle's
Ayoze Perez picks up Aaron Ramsey's errant pass at the halfway line,
then storms toward the Arsenal penalty area. He draws enough attention
from Arsenal's Mathieu Flamini, Per Mertesacker, and Koscielny that
Wijnaldum finds himself open to the right of Cech's goal.
Cech anticipates Perez's pass, comes out to close down Wijnaldum, then goes down to smother the shot.
It
was similar to his late save on Everton's Gerard Deulofeu that clinched
Arsenal's 2-1 victory in October. Overall, Cech produced another
performance indicative of a title-winning goalkeeper.
Arsenal's midfield makeover showed some flaws
Saturday's
contest saw the return of the midfield pairing of Ramsey and Flamini.
It was the duo's fifth league match together since the November injury
of Santi Cazorla, and the relationship still displays some
imperfections.
Individually, Flamini and Ramsey made substantive
and positive contributions. Flamini was the team's leading tackler,
succeeding on six of nine attempts according to the FourFourTwo
StatsZone app. And Ramsey was in many ways the team's offensive hub,
completing the highest number of passes on the team and figuring in four
of its five top passing combinations.
The problem is that as a
unit Flamini and Ramsey don't seem to jibe well. This shortcoming is
most evident in the pair's dynamic without the ball. Unlike Cazorla and
Francis Coquelin, Flamini and Ramsey sometimes have difficulty
coordinating their defensive movement, both with each other and with the
defenders behind them.
As a result in this match, Newcastle found
considerable space to exploit in the midfield. That was the source of
Wijnaldum's early second-half chance, and it was the platform for passes
to the flank from which dangerous crosses were launched. A team with
better finishing than Newcastle's would have made the Gunners pay for
their generous midfield spacing.
Extra time
One
might reasonably ask under the circumstances if Calum Chambers is a
better midfield partner for Ramsey. Acknowledging that Chambers is a
neophyte in the holding role and faced less-than-elite competition in
his one outing there against Bournemouth, we did see him gel with Ramsey
in an encouraging way.
In particular, Chambers shouldered some of
the burden of distribution, completing 53/59 passes against
Bournemouth, or 10 percent of the team's total completions, while Ramsey
hit on 60 of 70 (13 percent). Against Newcastle, Ramsey's proportion
rose to 17 percent (67 of the team's 400 completed passes), while
Flamini connected on just 30 (7.5 percent).
Flamini brings
considerable experience and an unblemished record at the Emirates
Stadium, but energy and flow make a case for Chambers.
