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A Predictable Affair: Talking Points From Arsenal v Southampton

The holiday season is upon us! With large swathes of Britain experiencing snow, Arsenal travelled to the South Coast to take on Southampton at St. Mary’s in a dreary effort that reflected the grey skies above. It was the exact sort of uninspiring display that the Gunners are capable of at inopportune times, and Sunday was no exception. Arsenal started flat and disorganised, allowing Southampton to not only take the lead, but for a time look like they were going to put the match right out of reach. Luckily, the Gunners found their footing, but were still shaky in front of goal before substitute Olivier Giroud tied the match with 10 minutes to go. The 1-1 draw leaves Arsenal 17 points behind league leaders Manchester City before Christmas has even arrived.

Digging Early Holes

A worrying trend has developed with Arsene Wenger’s men with their recent slow starts to league matches. Last week, the Gunners allowed Manchester United to score twice in the opening 12 minutes of the match, and against Southampton, it was just 2 minutes and a bit of change before Charlie Adam broke through the lines and beat Petr Cech over his shoulder to take the lead at St. Mary’s. Even after the goal, Southampton spent at least another 10 minutes as the most threatening side before Arsenal started to find their footing in the match.

As great a story as Olivier Giroud’s last gasp heroics make for the papers, Arsene Wenger will be incensed not to come away with 3 points on a weekend where multiple top 4 contenders dropped points. Arsenal have put in the work to improve their organisation at the back, and despite allowing three goals to each Manchester club in recent weeks, they have made progress. However, teams have been able to stun the Gunners early before they have steeled themselves for the effort that a tight defensive structure requires, and it is becoming imperative that the team figures out how to start matches with the proper intensity.

Playing Down To The Competition

How predictable was that? After playing several important, high-effort matches in recent weeks, the Gunners arrived on the south coast with most expecting them to take 3 points from a talented Southampton side, only to see them fall short. From the opening whistle, the attack displayed an unwillingness to force the ball into danger areas and too often were left passing the ball around the perimeter. Southampton did an excellent job compressing the space at the top of Fraser Forster’s box, denying Arsenal any opportunity to work their combinations in tight. In the final third, players apparently felt the best way to get open was to tend in place, and a frustrating 80 minutes of football was finally salvaged by a bit of end of match urgency. It is a script that fans have seen followed all too often in the second decade of Arsene Wenger’s tenure, and the question becomes whether the fault lies with the players or manager. Whichever it is, Arsenal are squandering the scintillating form of Mesut Ozil and their opportunities to solidify their position in the league’s vanguard of elite clubs.

Key Injuries

Some players just can’t catch a break. While the Gunners have been fortunate to avoid multiple major injuries thus far (the absolutely horrifying ordeal of Santi Cazorla aside), key players have found themselves felled at inopportune time all season long. Last month, Arsenal were unlucky to face Manchester City with a decimated back line, and last week lost Shkodran Mustafi early in the match. The German centre back had been a stabilising force at the back since returning from an injury suffered during while with the national team. Despite an embarrassing miscue that led to a United goal and his most recent injury, his pace and willingness to throw himself in front of shots gives the defence a whole new dimension than when Per Mertesacker starts.

At St. Mary’s on a Sunday, it was Aaron Ramsey who pulled up with a hamstring issue, leaving him unable to run and the Gunners out of substitutions for their comeback bid. Ramsey gave his all at the end of the match, but was almost totally immobile, and now he faces a spell on the sidelines. For some supporters who have been calling for Jack Wilshere to get a start in the Premier League, Ramsey’s injury opens that door. Wenger will be hoping to get his indefatigable midfielder back as soon as possible because he has been in his best run of form for at least two seasons.

Super Oli

If an inconsistent performance against a mid-table side was expected from the Gunners on Sunday, then so too was a heroic Olivier Giroud goal. The Frenchman scored his 17th goal as a substitute for Arsenal, and is rapidly becoming a super sub on the level of Alessandro Del Piero, who scored regularly at the end of matches after injuries robbed him of his stamina. When the Gunners need a late goal, the ball starts flying into the box, searching out the towering forward, as his teammates know that he only needs one opportunity to nod the ball home. The goal put a positive spin on a frustrating afternoon for Arsenal, who showed little desire to battle their way into goalscoring areas for much of the match.

The Gunner attack has run its smoothest with Alexandre Lacazette leading the line this season, but teams are now crowding him with defenders and a holding midfielder, trying to prevent him from playing himself in with clever 1-2 passing. Giroud offers a totally different option to his French and club teammate, and after chasing Lacazette around the for most of the match, defenders likely do not enjoy the physical battle he brings right to their doorstep. Arsene Wenger said after the match that Giroud would likely start more matches going forward, News that is sure to excite Sunday’s hero.

Hero No More

66 times. That is how many times Alexis Sanchez has given away the ball in the last two matches. 66! For a supposed world class player, that is simply unacceptable, but for Alexis Sanchez, it is typical. The Chilean was a liability in the final third on Sunday, ending nearly every promising attack in its tracks with a poorly judged pass or dribble. His favourite move, regardless of whether or not it is the right option, is a chipped through ball into the general area just in front of the 6 yard box. When he is not sending speculative passes directly into the waiting embrace of the opposition, he is attempting to take on the whole team with his stuttering, slaloming dribbling style.

At this point, fans have resigned themselves to losing their star man, and many will be happy to see him go. His 32 turnovers on Sunday have been bested only by his own 34 turnovers last weekend against United. The fans are now privy to his selfish play, his poor attitude, and his penchant for giving away possession. With Mesut Ozil playing so well in the last 2-3 weeks, the thought of losing Sanchez is a bit more palatable to fans still holding out hope for a top 4 finish. Rumours have begun to swirl around Ozil, with some claiming he is on the cusp of signing a 3 year extension, and last season’s hero (and the only one fit to wear the red and white shirt, according to some of the more reactionary fans) is truly becoming this season’s pariah.



This post first appeared on Arsenal Football Club | Arsenal News | Arsenal FC, please read the originial post: here

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A Predictable Affair: Talking Points From Arsenal v Southampton

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