Liverpool review: one for all and all 4-1

When going into the game, I honestly didn't expect for Arsenal to pull off something like that. It has nothing to do with lack of belief: I always believe we can beat the opposition, whatever the circumstances. Rather, I knew it was make-or-break for Liverpool: a loss would basically mean they finish outside the top four. With Sturridge, Sterling and Co(utinho) available, I was fully prepared for a tough ride, maybe dropped points.

What I saw on the pitch stunned me. For the first fifteen minutes we just dominated the Mugmashers. We created at least two brilliant chances inside this period, but were denied by some top goalkeeping from Mignolet. For the time being.

However, I do not want this article to become another minute-by-minute review. There's an abundance of these out already, so I decided I'll tackle mine differently. Whilst acknowledging it was an outstanding collective effort from Arsenal (so much so, I wanted to give my vote to all three contenders for MoM), I thought I'd rather go over individual players. Not because they stood out among the others, purely because their respective contributions should put an end to some of the wild assumptions circling the web. So here goes.

David Ospina

I've said it countless times already and I'll say it again: I love the way the Colombian plays. He's the calm before the storm, during the storm and after the storm.

And I can't stress the importance of this particular quality enough. Having a dead-calm goalkeeper behind helps the defenders psychologically a lot.

That's why I can't understand how after the game some a) levelled criticism at David for not saving the penalty b) remained convinced Szczesny is the better goalkeeper.

Regarding the first point, I'd say Henderson produced a good shot. Very low and very close to the post, even if not particularly powerful. Ospina guessed the corner, but honestly, it's a penalty. Had he not guessed it right, would you still blame him?

As for the second, I can agree Szczesny is capable of stunning saves which can mean we get the points, but again I wouldn't prefer him to the Colombian. Chezza is far from being either stable or calm, so he's not the number 1 for me.

Per Mertesacker

I was surprised at the German's inclusion. Not because he's a bad defender, far from it, rather because we opted to adopt a high-octane pressing approach.

It's not quite Per's game, but there was another surprise in store for me. It was the German pressing high up the pitch, not Koscielny, and our vice-captain was pretty damn good at it. He stuck in, won tackles, intercepted and, basically, sometimes played further upfield than Coquelin. We are in for a real fight between the German and Gabriel, ladies and gentlemen.

Hector Bellerin

"He’s one of the surprises of the season. He was at Watford on loan last year and didn’t get the games. He’s just 20 years old, if you look at what he does at 20 years of age… He played against a great player today in Sterling in the second half. Maybe he still has some experience to gain but defending one against one is good and going forward is good as well. He scored an important goal in a big game and that always shows that the guy has the mental quality to be there."

This game was game number 20 for Bellerin this season, 17th start. And boy did he grow during the season. He scored a vastly important goal, which allowed us to end the game as a contest in seven minutes. Hector also took his chance in style, showed a piece of individual skill.

Was it really a goalscoring opportunity, a clear-cut chance? No, Bellerin created the goal out of nothing. He took the ball, stepped inside the defender and curled a screamer inside the post with his left.

My guess is that, once fully-fit, Debuchy will be reinstated straight away, and, while it's probably the right decision to make, you still have to feel for Bellerin. He's been phenomenal and doesn't deserve the drop in the slightest. We'll see how this one pans out.

Aaron Ramsey

When the squads were announced I saw neither Walcott nor Welbeck on the teamsheet. And so I thought it would be either Ozil or Cazorla on the right. I have my reservations about both playing out wide. However, having seen Mata, a typical playmaker, destroy Moreno two weeks ago, I thought Cazorla or Ozil were primed to do exactly that. Like with Mertesacker, I was wrong again.

Instead, Aaron Ramsey played on the flank. And this, I think, can be explained by the approach we took. Without Oxlade, Ramsey provides the team with endless energy better than anyone. One can make the case for Rosicky here, but both the Czech and Rambo aren't natural wingers and so choosing Aaron over Thomas was the sensible decision.

And The Welsh Jesus walked on water. He and Bellerin terrorised Moreno the entire game while also putting  the central defenders under pressure. A brilliant move from Arsene. Unconventional, but no less remarkable for it. In the end, Ramsey bagged two assists and his second, preceded by a touch-and-turn, was a thing of beauty.

"Invisible" Ozil

Those who think Ozil disappeared need to watch the game again. Watch Ozil's off-the-ball movement. Then watch this video (link). If, having done all of the above, they remain of the opinion that Ozil got lost during the game, they need to slap themselves in the face repeatedly and quit watching football.

For everyone else, I don't need to say Ozil was brilliant. Coutinho is still sliding as I write this, Lukas and Can are trying to figure out how Ozil got past them (the latter is doing that in suspension) and Mignolet will have nightmares about that freekick. In a nutshell, I'm delighted Mesut Ozil is a Gunner.

"Beast" Alexis

"He worked very hard. He gave absolutely everything and had a great first half. Alexis is a guy who never gives up. I had a decision to make between him or Ozil and I subbed Ozil because I felt he was in danger of being injured. Alexis did fight very hard until the end."

And that's Alexis's main asset. He never gives up, never quits, never shies from responsibility, never hides. He keeps at it and it paid off against Liverpool. His goal was his only shot on target, but what a shot that was. A bouncing ball, outside the box, poof. Golazio. Apart from the goal the Chilean wasn't really noticeable, and I don't mind it in the slightest. He did his bit as usual and scored a beauty of a goal. Can't really ask for much else.

Olivier Giroud

As Can was sent off and we were passing the ball around at the back, content to let the clock tick away with the scoreline we had, a fellow Arsenal fan sitting beside me said: "I'm not leaving without Giroud's goal". Just as I was prepared to say " Then you'll probably stay here for a week", Giroud got the ball outside the box, rounded off Toure and let fly. 4-1 and my friend got to go home and Giroud bagged his 14th strike of the campaign and 18th overall. He's now tied with Sanchez in terms of BPL goals and just two behind in all competitions. Despite spending three months out of the game.

While folks were admiring Costa and Kane and whatnot, Giroud quietly evolved into the best striker in the league. I'm not overestimating. Look at the number of goals, then at their quality, then at the time the Frenchman spent sidelined and you'll have your answer.

The verdict

Nine above Liverpool and Spurs. Ten above Southampton. Second-placed (though City have a game in hand). Ten wins in eleven games. Red-hot Giroud, Sanchez, Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey etc. etc. Sound thrashing of Liverpool. What more can you wish for?

One last thing. When it became obvious we were going to win the game, Welbeck came on. Not Walcott. And so I think it's time to say cheerio to Theo. Sad really, but with Oxlade returning, I fear Walcott will not only find himself benched, he may find himself out of the squad altogether.

That's it for now.

Until later

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Liverpool preview: vital game for both teams

Actual football returns as we take on Liverpool at the Emirates in what is probably the most important game during the run-in. Win, and we open a nine-point gap on the Mugmashers and maintain at least a seven-point one on Spurs and Southampton.

However, Liverpool is a dangerous team to play right now, exactly because of their position. Missing out on the top four hardly tops Liverpool's priority list and the game against us is the last chance to put their campaign back on track. If they lose, they'll most likely find themselves outside Champions League places come May.

Liverpool will have to fight tooth and nail, however, they'll do so without several players. Gerrard and Skrtel miss out due to suspension, Lovren is also likely to miss the game (though through injury), while there are question marks hanging over Sterling, Sturridge, Lallana and Lucas.

I'm pretty sure Sturridge, Sterling and Lallana will play and I find it disgusting. Not their involvement itself, but rather the way Liverpool covered up for them, so the trio wouldn't feature for the national team and get a nice long rest for the key game. If they really do play against us, I suggest FA investigate how these players were mortally ill to represent England, but were miraculously revived to face us a week later. Back to Arsenal, however.

Team news update

Debuchy, Arteta, Wilshere and Diaby all played against Brentford behind the closed doors (yes, Diaby!), though Arsene revealed most likely none of them will be involved on Saturday.

Which is completely understandable. Arteta and Wilshere didn't play since the end of November, throwing them at the deep end in a game of such magnitude is risky, to say the least. Debuchy could have perhaps played, he was out for a shorter period, but Arsene knows his players better. If they need another week or two, then be it. It's not like we don't have depth to compensate for their respective omissions.

Oxlade also remains sidelined, while Welbeck's participation is unclear. Wenger said the Englishman "has a little chance" to feature. So your guess here is as good as mine.

With all that more or less sorted out, time to put together a likely squad.

Defense

In Debuchy's absence Bellerin should continue to deputise at right-back, though if Arsene chooses to start Walcott further upfield, a start for Chambers is in order. And I won't rule out such a scenario.

Monreal will most likely be preferred to Gibbs once again, while I'd go with a Gabriel-Koscielny tandem in central defense. Whether it's Sterling or Sturridge up top for the Mugmashers, I wouldn't fancy Mertesacker's chances. He may start as he's vice-captain after all, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Midfield

I still remember what a make-shift midfield we had at Anfield: Flamini, Oxlade and Cazorla. And we paid the price for it. Cazorla desperately tried to hold onto the ball, the other two let him down time and again. It's understandable: Flamini is Flamini and Oxlade isn't a CM for now.

This time, however, we have options. I'd prefer to see Coquelin, Ramsey & Ozil started. Ramsey is in fine form, he's our best number 8 and he's forged a good understanding with Ozil.

However, I wonder whether Arsene will be itching to fit in Cazorla somewhere and not somewhere on the flank. Santi has been phenomenal in central midfield, though less so alongside Coquelin (or should I say Coquelin was less phenomenal in tandem with Cazorla?). I won't be really surprised if the Spaniard starts. But again, I think Ozil really ought to.

Attack

Not the least because I have a feeling neither the German, nor Santi will, or, indeed, should be shifted out wide. A side as dangerous as Liverpool might just use it to our detriment.

If Welbeck is fit, then he, Sanchez and Giroud should start. However, difficulties will arise if Welbeck doesn't make it.

Should we play Walcott in this case? After he had 14 touches for England in 55 minutes? Taking into account his contract situation?

I somehow get the feeling Theo will deliver on Saturday given the chance. So I'd start him (just not over Welbeck). He's also a better winger than our other options, like Santi or Ozil.

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Also, while we don't have this problem just yet, it's only a matter of a week or so before we do: squad depth. We have too many (can you believe it?) players for a starting XI and the bench. Some will have to miss out, maybe even as early as our next game. ClockEnd Italia speculates who that might be. Give it a read.

The verdict

Alright, I'm now going to try this reverse psychology thing: we are not going to win this game. And playing before our own fans and inside the Emirates (where we have only lost two league games in two seasons) isn't going to help us in the slightest.

Look at the situation in the table. We literally have nothing to fight for, while Liverpool are a whisker away from challenging for the title.

Whichever way you look at it, Liverpool is just too much quality for us. We won't be able to contain them, especially since we don't even have a full squad at our disposal. Not a chance in the world we can beat them.

Our recent form also isn't encouraging. Just look at how bad we were in the last ten league games and you'll know how this one is going to end. Liverpool, meanwhile, are cruising to victories all over the place. And them having some key players out is just a mastermind diversion from Rodgers. We all know these key players aren't actually the best, their replacements are. Brendan is just keeping it under wraps.

Phew, I've done my bit. And remember, if this reverse trick doesn't help, it's solely because some crazy Arsenal blogger out there not only thinks we can win this one, he also has enough stupidity to put it in writing. God knows there are fools aplenty around.

Back with a review.

And come on you Gunners.

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

The battle for the №1 shirt

It's fair to say the goalkeeping situation is unstable right now. Just as it seemed Wojciech Szczesny established himself as a proper number 1 during the run-in in 2012-2013 season (even Ospina admitted he was initially brought in as back-up, an atrocious start of 2014-2015 campaign, discipline issues and a particularly feeble performance from the Pole resulted in Arsene dropping Woj. And we haven't looked back since. Ospina came in, provided us with his calming presence, stable performances and 7 clean sheets in 13 games. Wojciech, despite making three appearances in the FA Cup, did nothing to suggest he should be reinstated and is left to observe games from the bench, sulking more and more with every passing match. His position became so unprivileged, that rumours emerged he might leave us this summer and Cech might come in. Even if that does happen, however, would the Czech become our number 1? Does Ospina deserve to be dropped on the merit of his recent performances? I'd like to say "no" to both these questions.

The uncertainty of the situation is new to me and, maybe, to a healthy portion of other Arsenal supporters. And so this article won't be as much about our current situation (God knows it's been done to death already), rather, I'll look at our goalkeepers past and their respective places in ever-changing Arsenal sides. (In brackets I specify the time a goalkeeper was an actual №1, not his time at the Club).

Jens Lehmann (2003-2007)

I'm starting with the German because he was our number 1 when my journey as an Arsenal fan began. I didn't watch a lot of games back in 2004 (and this trend continued for the number of years after. You see, as a pupil, my notion of support hasn't yet reached the highs of watching every single game. I only started doing that roughly five years ago, maybe even four).

But I vividly remember the first game I saw: a 2-2 draw against Bolton, headed by Sam Allardyce back then, unless I'm much mistaken. Despite the fact we've let in two goals, I grew to like Lehmann from that moment on. And I was not alone.

I recall Lehmann having a rather lengthy lay-off due to injury, with Almunia deputising for the German for roughly ten games. Jens was greeted like a hero when he finally returned.

But my sharpest recollection of Lehmann as someone I admire even now was the 2005-2006 campaign. We wobbled heavily in the league, securing the fourth place in the last game (sounds familiar?), though we were brilliantly tenacious in the Champions League. I've seen Arsenal beat Real at the Barnabeu (with Henry's help), pummel Juventus at Highbury courtesy to goals from Fabregas and Henry and then scrape past Villarreal in the semis.

And who was the hero during the run that saw us wrack up ten clean sheets, six of them in playoffs? That's right, Jens Lehmann. Though this campaign will be remembered as another near miss, for me it was no less thrilling because of the man between the sticks.

Lehmann wasn't the best goalkeeper around. He wasn't even first-choice in the German national team, Kahn was. But Jens firmly believed he was the best and this belief was visible throughout his performances. He never hid from mistakes and his mere presence instilled confidence in even the most make-shift defences. He emanated the kind of composure our keepers lacked ever since.

Manuel Almunia (2007-2011)

Is it unfair that I will remember Manuel for the two goals he conceded in 2006 against Barcelona? It probably is. Arsene demonstrated enough faith in the Spaniard to drop Lehmann twice: in 2004-2005 for a short period of time and later for good in 2007-2008 season. However, I cannot recall any moments of brilliance from Almunia.

That doesn’t mean he was a bad goalkeeper. He was a decent one, but he found himself the victim of the circumstances. He had to hold the fort in what was arguably the darkest period in our recent history. Even Lehmann struggled in two seasons prior to his departure from the Club as the Invincible back four slowly but surely dissipated, what could we expect of Almunia?

Was the Spaniard in a position to do better than he did? It’s hard to say. I never thought Giroud would reach the heights he did when we initially signed him. Hark work and dedication paid off for the Frenchman. For me, Almunia will forever remain in Lehmann’s shadow and will mostly be remembered for his rushes of blood (more than just occasional) and nervous attitude.

Lukasz Fabianski (2007-2014)

Much like Manuel Almunia before him, Fabianski will mostly be remembered for being second-choice, only the elder Pole played second fiddle to Wojciech Szczesny. Despite the fact Szczesny became our №1 only in 2011-2012 and Almunia was on his last legs for the entirety of 2010-2011 campaign, Fabianski failed to establish himself during that season. The window of opportunity he had was pretty narrow, truth be told, however, Fab had his chance.

There was a lot of talk about how brilliant Fabianski was in training, yet time and again he failed to convert his brilliance into on-pitch performances. I have no clear recollections of the Pole doing anything of note or, indeed, putting a run together in the starting XI before 2012-2013 campaign.

And you all remember how it went, right? We lost to Bayern 3-1 at home and Szczesny got sent off. Mere days after that we lost in the North London derby (it still hurts, that game was winnable. Spurs weren’t great, they just capitalized on Vermaelen’s and Woj’s poor performances). Szczesny was suspended in the return leg against Bayern and Fabianski started in goal.

And Lukasz produced a performance nothing short of brilliant. We won 2-0 at the Allianz, fending off Bayern for 80 minutes and Fabianski was the hero. He kept his place in the starting eleven in several consecutive games, but sustained yet another injury and firmly lost his place to Szczesny.

But I will remember (how many times have I used that word already?) Fabianski for his last season with us. Second to a brilliant Szczesny (who got the Golden Glove in the end), Lukasz produced a string of professional performances in the FA Cup as we defeated Tottenham 2-0, then Coventry 4-1, then Liverpool 2-1 and Everton 4-1, before we took on Wigan and, finally, Hull. Fabianski later confessed he told Arsene in December he would leave in the summer and yet Arsene played Fabianski in all FA Cup games, including the final. And boy did it pay off.

Wojciech Szczesny (2011-2014)

Almunia, Fabianski and him (to a lesser extent) have one nasty trait in common: all three have rushes of blood. None of them can exactly be called calm and that’s why I like Ospina very much (more on the Colombian anon).

However, Wojciech also has the makings of a great goalkeeper because of his cockiness. In this regard he strongly reminds me of Lehmann and you can’t fancy a guy who shares even a little something with Mad Jens.

Wojciech’s downfall is his discipline and his inconsistency. One season he’s too hot, the other he’s too cold. I guess it’s also down to his temperament, you just can’t be cocky and consistent at the same time, but look where it had led Woj. He’s second-choice, it doesn’t look like he’ll be reinstated anytime soon and Poland’s national coach has already stated Fabianski will be the №1. There are rumours afloat Szczesny will leave and you can’t say, looking at how things stand, that it will be a huge surprise.

David Ospina (2015-present)

Righto, though the sample is still small, I like what I’ve seen from the Colombian. I like it very much. If his performances could be likened to a girl, she would look like this:

The Colombian is the first goalkeeper since Lehmann (for me) that has well and truly instilled confidence in our defenders. Sure, he had most likely benefited from playing behind a stable back four (Bellerin-Mert-Kos-Monreal + Coquelin), a luxury Szczesny didn’t have, but he has, to my mind, demonstrated the qualities Szczesny lacks: calmness and consistency. And we all know how Arsene loves consistency.

The verdict

It’ll be interesting to see how things progress over the course of the last two months of the season and then in the summer. There are several scenarios I can see right now:

1. Ospina stays fit (don’t jinx it!), cements his place as №1. Szczesny leaves, Martinez gets a promotion and we buy a rookie goalkeeper or push someone like Huddart in the first team.
2. Ospina doesn’t stay fit. Szczesny returns, puts together a decent run and reclaims his spot. No one comes in during the summer, Martinez may leave.
3. Ospina doesn’t stay fit, Szczesny returns, does nothing of note or (which is infinitely worse) produces a series of below-par performances and we revisit point 1.

Alright, that’s it. Hope I gave you something to chew on.

Until later

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Should a winger top our list of transfer signings?

You've read the heading and most likely said: "What an idiot. Everyone knows we need a screening midfielder, that world-class striker we've been promised, probably a world-class goalkeeper, maybe another centre-back. But definitely not a winger. What is this guy even thinking?" Well, read on.

I'm not saying we don't need these players (mind you, I'm not saying we absolutely do, but this is a topic for another article). What I am saying, though, is that the need for these purchases isn't pressing. We've bought Gabriel and Chambers, Ospina fares well, Coquelin does an outstanding job and few will deny Giroud has been classy this season. We also have some genuine squad depth, should we need somebody to fill in.

And now look at our wings. Or rather, let's do this together.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Probably our most natural winger at the moment. The number of games he's played (despite spending some time on the sidelines) is amazing. He was a regular starter before Boxing Day madness began. Ox was right up there with Chambers, Mertesacker, Cazorla and Sanchez in terms of minutes played and this hints at Wenger viewing him as a starter as well.

And Oxlade is a very good winger. He knows how and when to hug the byline, he can get past opponents using his speed or sheer power, he feels when a cross needs to be put in or when squaring the ball is a better option. Ox has a powerful shot and, when he becomes more clinical in front of goal, we'll have a ready-made winger on our hands.

But there is a teeny tiny little problem: Arsene sees Oxlade's future in our highly-congested central midfield. Even when Rosicky, Arteta and Cazorla will be gone, we'll still have at least Ramsey, Wilshere and Ozil. And Coquelin, and whoever else we may buy.

Thing is, however, Oxlade's best games (Milan, Crystal Palace) took place when the Englishman was deployed centrally, so you can see why Wenger wants the Ox to play there. However, shifting Oxlade inside will rob us of a genuine option on the wings. Gnabry's situation is quite similar in this regard. Bar playing time, he's a mini-version of the Ox for me, yet Arsene craves to deploy Serge in central midfield. Sigh.

Alexis Sanchez

Much like Oxlade (or is it the other way around?), the Chilean ticks all the right boxes when playing on the wing. He's quick, he can find his way out of tight spots, he's hard to push off the ball. He tracks back to help defenders out and, basically, he's a really good winger.

Unlike Oxlade, though, Alexis drifts inside more often and his finishing ability is much better. He's, currently, our left winger of choice, but is it his natural position, will he remain there in the long term? We all know we bought Alexis to play central striker, Wenger himself said the magical words in August. When asked whether Sanchez will be able to stand in for an injured Giroud, Arsene answered:

Can he (Alexis) can play up front for 3-4 months?

"For three or four months? He can play there his whole life. I bought him to play as a striker, not to play only on the flanks."

There you have it. And though it's subject matter for a whole new article (thesis, maybe) of whether or not we should change our Giroud-oriented target-man system and tailor it to Alexis and his style of play, I'm not sure Sanchez is our stonewall left winger in the long run. In fact, I'm quite certain he isn't.

Theo Walcott

Will he even be with us next season? I personally doubt it highly. If he can't find his way into a team without Ozil and with a half-dead Sanchez, his case is a lost one. Besides, he is not your typical winger. He drifts inside all too often, he exposes his right-back regularly and he doesn't exactly possess the physique or cunning of Alexis and/or Oxlade. Theo's weapons are his speed and sense of positioning, but his all-round game leaves much to be desired. It won't surprise me in the slightest to see him go in the summer. It would be a sad moment, I remember the day we signed him and I can't picture Theo playing for someone else. Unfortunately, it's how life goes. You either adapt to new reality or you miss out on it.

Danny Welbeck

Not a winger for me, sorry. And, despite Arsene's trait to utilise Danny on the flank, I think the Frenchman doesn't see Welbeck's future there. To me it looks like we have a young Giroud on our hands. Only a pacy Giroud.

Welbeck is unlikely to power his way through on the flank, even more unlikely to pull off a skill move to get by his opponent and, finally, he drifts inside more often than Sanchez and Walcott combined.

And look, I have no problem with that. I really think Danny will become our next centre-forward. His first touch has already vastly improved, he will have plenty of time to iron out his finishing and positioning (and his overall ability to serve as a springboard for attacks) while Giroud is the main man. For now, playing on the wings can benefit Welbeck, but I don't see him there in the long-term. Finally, he drifts inside more than Sanchez and Walcott combined.

Lukas Podolski

If we can call Walcott's case a res judicata, then what can we say about Poldi? I'm prepared to bet a fiver the Hashtag King will leave us in the summer. I should probably look what William Hill can offer me on this one.

Even if we assume the German will stay (don't laugh), what does he bring to the table? Finishing? How about 13 games without a goal in Serie A? 11 starts mind you, not some bit-part involvement.

Positioning? But Poldi doesn't play close to the byline. He plays in a narrow corridor between a winger and a striker. He would be a good player to have around in a 4-4-2, if we used one.

Technique? Aha. Helping out full-backs? Like hell. Pace? This is getting ridiculous, perhaps I should stop.

Joel Campbell

His situation is only marginally better than Poldi's and probably worse, than Walcott's. The Costa-Rican spent three seasons on loan, had a couple of good games during the World Cup (as a CF, mind you), returned to Arsenal to sit on the bench for half a season and was subsequently shipped out on yet another loan.

True, Joel has put pen-to-paper on a new deal, but I do wonder whether it's because we are protecting our investment rather than demonstrating belief in Campbell's future with us.

Let's say he does have a future. In this case, I'm inclined to say he'll be behind both Sanchez and Oxlade in the pecking order, maybe even Gnabry. However, I think Campbell possesses some valuable qualities and, if we opt to keep him, fine-tuning these can result in us having an extra winger.

Campbell is fast, he's hard to push off the ball and if he works on his passing and decision-making, then who knows. I'd say he's still in the process of developing into a reliable player. Question is, will we be willing to see this process through?

Bonus (Santi Cazorla)

I have almost forgotten about our little Magician, but I had a reason to: it doesn’t look like Santi will again be shifted out wide. He was magnificent under the striker in his debut season (didn’t he score 12 goals without any pens among them?), then faded a bit during his second season. Though some may call it the usual “second season syndrome”, I tend to think Santi was less influential exactly because he was asked to play wide. I know it was his position in Malaga, maybe the physicality of the Premier League rendered him less effective on the wing.

Whatever the reason, it looks increasingly unlikely Cazorla will be asked to fill in on one of the flanks on a permanent basis now. He excelled under the striker when Ozil was out (and got two player-of-the-month awards for his trouble) and then moved even deeper infield after we were hit with an injury crisis. Right now Santi may be behind Ramsey in the pecking order (MAY be), though whether he is behind Wilshere is another question entirely. With Jack set to return after the break, I’ll guess we’ll have the answer soon enough.

The verdict

Have I managed to convince you we really need a winger this summer? If you ploughed through all of the above, then I probably have.

Right now we have only two players who tick all the right boxes (Alexis and Oxlade) and both could be deployed elsewhere even next season. Unlikely, but you get the idea.

Until later.

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal: two different Arsenals get the result

Hello everyone.

The last round of games before the international break took place this weekend and, truth be told, I’m a little relieved there will be no games for the next two weeks. The build-up to matches with rallying cries from managers and players alike, nerves spiking during games themselves and a short respite after the 90 minutes before the process repeats itself can be highly exhausting, especially when games take place every three days or so.

Luckily for Arsenal fans, the team performed admirably since the turn of the year. There were blips, no doubt about that (one such blip cost us a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League), but you have to admit we’ve put quite a run together: 15 wins out of possible 18 in all competitions. Impressive.

What is particularly heart-warming is that we go into the break on the back of another win. Thus there will be no dissection of mistakes, no “what-ifs” and no negativity for at least two weeks. And now, onto the game itself.

The team

Wenger’s selection was affected by the upcoming friendlies less than I anticipated. Chambers for Bellerin was the only such change. Gabriel was thrown on for Mertesacker (I suspect because we faced a pacy Perez), Cazorla started the game despite receiving a call-up to Spain’s squad, while the front three remained unchanged from our midweek escapades. Which is a bit strange: Giroud, Welbeck and Sanchez were all included in their respective squads, besides, at least the Chilean needed a rest badly. However, the side looked really well-balanced and it showed during the first half. Ozil missed the game through illness.

The first half

This clash was as much a tale of two halves as I’ve seen this season. We witnessed two completely different sides to Arsenal’s game and I liked both. The first half was a demonstration of what a balanced and relatively injury-free Arsenal can do. The teams exchanged moments in the opening stages, with Giroud failing to really make Alexis’s cross count and then Gabriel blocking Perez’s shot, before Arsenal seized the initiative.

Sanchez saw a shot blocked following Cazorla’s cross from a free-kick, Ramsey tried to fool Krul when a more obvious solution could have seen put us go a goal up and then we finally scored. Welbeck nodded another Cazorla’s free-kick into Giroud’s path and our man of the moment took a touch with his knee to send the ball past Krul. 1-0.

This goal broke the dam and chances came flooding in. There were a couple of “almost one-on-ones” and shortly after these Sanchez fashioned a chance for Welbeck. The Chilean’s beautiful flick helped him escape Gouffran and Welbeck only had to hit the corner of the net. Danny missed.

Cazorla performed a dance in the box with Krul helplessly staring at the Spaniard and the subsequent interchange led to a corner. Cazorla stepped up, swung the ball in and Giroud nodded past a stranded Krul. 2-0.

We could have scored a third, only for Ramsey to interfere with a cross destined for Giroud, however, we had strong defending from Koscielny and Gabriel to thank for going 2 up into the dressing room.

The second half

It was vastly different from the first and, despite the fact every Arsenal fan was fidgeting on the edge of his seat right until the whistle blew, there was something fresh and, dare I say, beautiful in the way we played.

Which was backs-to-the-wall stuff. The only moment of danger we produced happened deep into injury time, I think, when Bellerin (who came on for Welbeck to shore things up) almost squared the ball to the onrushing Giroud. Krul interfered with the Spaniard's low cross.

The rest of the half was all Newcastle. They scored in the 48th minute, after Taylor and Cabella fooled Coquelin and Monreal on the left, and the Frenchman pulled the ball back for Sissokho. Moussa took one touch to put the ball into the net with Ospina wrong-footed and I have to give some credit to Newcastle. It was a brilliant interchange, one that would have left us drooling, had it happened at the other end of the pitch.

The goal looked to have sapped us of energy, but I wonder whether we already were that way before. It's hard to say, cause this assumption is based on what happened after the goal, rather than before (you can't really make a definitive judgement on how the team played based on a three-minute sample).

I think, however, that a pretty straightforward thing happened: after the conceded goal, Arsenal players suddenly remembered they were human beings, who were well into their fourth game inside 12 days, a third away game. Most importantly, they faced Monaco in an exhausting encounter four days earlier and went out only just. That game surely left both a psychological and a physical trace and so Arsenal decided to shut shop. The Gunners didn't even try to counter Newcastle's attacks and so the Magpies were given free reign.

It could have proved costly. Perez curled a shot just wide, Gouffran blasted his straight into Ospina following a corner and then the Colombian produced a most brilliant save from Sissokho's point-blank header after yet another corner.

David was called into play yet again when Cabella powered through our defense and took a shot. Minutes later a substitute Gutierrez fizzed his attempt across the goal and, finally, Cabella was denied by Ospina with clock ticking away. A beautiful save from the Colombian with his legs. We held on in the end.

The aftermath

We got a huge win in the context of other results. City hammered West Brom before we kicked off at St. James, Chelsea got a lucky bounce against Hull and even United pulled off a shock (at least for me) result at Anfield by beating the hosts courtesy of a brace from Mata. So we are still seven behind Chelsea, one behind City and one better off than United. However, there is now a bit of a gap between the top four and others. Arsenal sit six above Liverpool and seven above Tottenham and Southampton.

One last thing. Despite everyone crying about how poor we were in the second half, I am firmly of the opinion we saw a different side to Arsenal which is not all that bad. We showed some grit to hang onto our points and it's not the first time we did so successfully this year. There were slip-ups, sure, but there also were some pretty bright examples of how we got our way by defending backs-to-the-wall. Like we did against City and United. Like when we hung on against West Ham, Leicester, QPR (twice), Crystal Palace and others. I prefer to think of our second half as something more than just having a lucky bounce. To me it looks like this Arsenal side finally developed the valuable trait we've so craved for for years. The ability to win games after going up, or, as some would put it "the ability to win ugly". I'm not just fine with that, I'm happy.

That's it for now. Enjoy the break from (actual) football and I'll return as soon as something new pops up.

Until then