We won an away game! I repeat we won an away game. This is only the second time I’ve been able to say this in 2018 and it is bloody September. While it is tempting to say that because we’ve achieved this that we are in much better shape than under Wenger let’s not get too carried away because there’s plenty of things we need to improve upon and a lot of has to do with the positioning of certain players.

I spoke about this earlier, how Emery has inherited a squad under Wenger that was never fully balanced and thus has to improvise with what he has.

The biggest problem arguably is in that right hand said. Bellerin still has it all to do defensively, even if his attacking threat has now increased immensely, we were caught out once again in this regard. Xhaka did make a really careless error to go for that pass near half time, but it wasn’t all his fault. Bellerin was so isolated out there and Ozil having to play out on the right was not giving him that support and we were opened up. Yes Xhaka should do better and I will get to him in a second, but to just scapegoat him just for this is a bit much, he had a reasonable game otherwise.

Ozil as well, don’t get me wrong, I’m not scapegoating, but it is difficult to find that balance. We saw how great it was when Lacazette and Aubameyang played together last time, Emery made the decision to start them both, but that of course has flow on effects meaning Ozil can’t play in his preferred position in the centre, with Ramsey, Guendouzi and Xhaka already taking spots up in the midfield. In the second half when we saw Ozil come into the centre we saw a vast improvement and this is where he is best suited. It is a difficult decision for Emery though, because that is where Ramsey is best too, and is a classic case of Emery inheriting a Wenger squad with way too many number 10s. I’m not saying I have the answer but without an established winger, Emery is having to play his best striker on the left as a makeshift winger and with too many number 10s he’s having to play a playmaker in either Ramsey or Ozil on the right. it is not ideal.

Emery sees a lot in Xhaka and I’ve defended him many times in the past but I have to call a spade a spade in this game. Yes it was one mistake from an otherwise great performance, but you only need to see the effectiveness of Torriera when he came on to be convinced that it is time for a change. 100% pass accuracy won 100% of his duels and 100% of his tackles in the 20 mins he was won. There was also that small matter of providing the assist to Lacazette for the winning goal. So good in moving the lines, an intelligent footballer knowing when to slow down the game and speed it up. If it were up to me, it is Guendouzi and Torriera to start next game.

Finally, Petr Cech did his best impression (again) to give us a heart attack. Against a better team we are going down 1-0, he practically handed them that goal on a silver platter. A better team puts that away, especially at home and we are 1-0 down. It is a different ball game. Look I have faith in the manager but this really seems like a case of ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’. Goalkeepers can become better with age, but with their hands. You don’t learn how to play with your feet overnight and I just feel and though Leno would do a better job and is someone we can look to for our long term future as well. I mean I did try to overlook it when it happened the first time, but the more I think about it, the more I feel Leno should get a start.

So in conclusion, Ozil in the middle, Xhaka and Cech out, Torriera and Leno in. The right side of defence is a basket case, but we just need to give it time. Lichtsteiner is an option, but we lose our attacking threat and we just have to play to our strengths in attack for the time being.

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