Arsenal 4-1 West Brom: beware, Villa

Hi everyone.

The Premier League season drew to a close yesterday and some of the results were, how shall I put it, quite unexpected.

Aside from us thrashing West Brom (I think even the most optimistic of us couldn't predict such a scoreline), we have: Burnley beating Aston Villa away despite being relegated long before the game, Leicester thrashing QPR (not the win, the thrashing was unexpected) & Newcastle getting a first win under Carver to stay up. However, what Stoke did to Liverpool was the most surprising thing of all. I mean, Southampton never really stood a chance to beat City and aim for 5th place, but Liverpool just capitulated. They were totally outplayed for the second game in a row. As a result of two defeats, the Mugmashers finished below Tottenham. That's how bad their season has been.

There's only one person I really feel for in this theatre of absurd: Steven Gerrard. Liverpool's captain has performed below par this season, but he's a living legend who deserves much better than to lose to a mediocre Villa side in the cup and suffer two heavy defeats in his last two games for the Club.

There are people who I have enormous respect for beyond those who play(ed) for Arsenal. Steve G is one of them. I never understood all the mockery and abuse levelled at him in the last two years. Surely fans (not only Liverpool's) should be a bit more respectful towards one of the greatest English midfielders of his generation?

But apart from Gerrard leaving on such a sad note, I couldn't care one bit where Liverpool finished, whether they will sack Brendan Rodgers and how bad they have been. It's their mess and their alone.

Our performance, meanwhile, was inspiring. Just the one that was needed before the final. With all the right faces in all the right places. I'll start with the hat-trick hero, our surprising (but no less efficient for it) centre-forward on the day. His name is...

Theodore James Walcott

Theo was given 70 minutes up front with Ollie Giroud finally getting a bit of a respite and the Englishman was gorgeous. He demolished West Bromwich inside the first 40 minutes almost single-handedly. For the first Theo did touch-and-strike in the box, for his second he demonstrated the ability to dribble in tight spaces and his third was a simple tap-in but a) the combination leading to it was gorgeous b) Theo beat the offside trap  for the goal.

Theo went on to produce further three shots on target and Myhill had to work hard to save these. His overall contribution? Well, Theo only made 33 touches and 15 passes (all successful) before being subbed off for Giroud in 68th minute. That's probably not very good for a winger, cause it would be a demonstration the said winger didn't contribute much in the defensive sense, but Theo wasn't playing out wide yesterday. He was a striker and he was pretty damn efficient. Now we can see his stake to play as a centre-forward is very real indeed. Sure, our style of play is different to when we deploy Giroud, however, isn't that a bonus? We have a wholly different option on our hands and that's what we've been striving for. An alternative to Giroud in terms of play style. Walcott has given Arsene an almighty selection headache ahead of the Cup final.

Jack Wilshere , Santi Cazorla & Mesut Ozil

Jack played on the wing while he was on the pitch and, much like Walcott, he was gorgeous. Him and Ozil combined for Walcott's second, he ripped West Brom's defense with a dribble on his own for Theo's hat-trick and in-between Jack scored a wonder goal. One which was later voted on BBC as goal of the season. Brilliant outing for Jack, a reminder to everyone just how good he is when in form and another player with a claim for a starting place in a week.

Cazorla, meanwhile, had another stellar outing in a deeper position. 114 passes completed (pretty sure he led all players), 92% pass accuracy, 4 chances created and 2 assists (his 10th and 11th this season). He's second-best in the league in this regard, behind Him-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I'm here trying to say that we should keep Cazorla at all costs, because it will be fiendishly hard to find a replacement.

Finally, Ozil. He was influential once again. He had less passes than Cazorla (74/81), amassing a 91% accuracy nonetheless, but it's his "chances created" column that left me drooling once again. 6 chances. Ozil created 6 chances, 5 from open play. As such he has 78 chances in 22 games. I'll let you do the maths (hint: Ozil tops the league in terms of chances-per-game). A much-lauded Hazard, for the sake of comparison, has created 100 chances in 35 games.

David Ospina

He was shaky and it was surprising. For the entire first half Ospina had literally nothing to do, so I was infuriated when we conceded from a corner and ruined Dave's clean sheet. Until the replays showed Ospina was himself to blame for the goal. He came out to claim the ball, missed it entirely and allowed McAuley to plant a free header into the empty net.

Dave had another two shaky moments: first led to a corner from which we conceded, second that horrendous "through the gloves" moment.

Before the game I rather liked the idea expressed by Arseblogger: whoever starts against West Brom, it won't mean a lot. If Szczesny starts that may be to either give him some minutes before the final or to allow the fans to say goodbye. While even if Ospina started (which he consequently did), it wouldn't mean the Big Dave would start in the final.

However, I was rightly pointed out Fabianski played the last league game last year, despite Szczesny fighting for Golden Glove. So I guess Szczesny played his last game for the Club in March, against United. Arsene seems to have given up on Woj.

But I keep wondering whether Ospina's shaky display yesterday gave Arsene second thoughts. Personally, I'd stick with Ospina in the final: Szczesny's last game came more than two months ago and he was very nervous that night. We don't need an out-of-practice, fidgeting keeper in the final. Besides, sticking with Ospina will be an indicator Arsene trusts the Colombian and this might well play a part on Dave's performance on the day. Not that I think one shaky performance is worth dropping.

The aftermath

We avoided the qualifiers in the CL. Phew. That means two less stressful games in "hell" (other name for Turkey) and, of course, the opportunity to attract players from the get-go of the transfer market. It seems our first transfer is already in place: today the official account of Chile's football federation announced Arturo Vidal will join forces with Alexis Sanchez after Copa America. Fingers crossed.

Right, that your lot for now. Bulk up on reading Tim's usual "By the numbers" (where I took most stats for this review) and David's brilliant article on why a resounding win over West Brom could prove vital.

Cheers

West Brom preview: finish on a high

“We want to finish on a high at the Emirates and we want our fans to go home happy, full of hope for next season.

We have fought very hard to directly qualify for the Champions League and we want to get over the line and finish the job, which we couldn’t do on Wednesday night [against Sunderland]. We want to do it in a convincing way on Sunday.”

That’s what Arsene Wenger said during his press-conference. Have to say the game against West Bromwich now looks crucial in terms of the Cup Final. It’s a chance to lay down a marker, sweep aside a team that will no doubt sit deep and show Villa they won’t be able to put ten men behind the ball and not get punished for it. If we find a way to break West Brom down, then Villa will think twice before adopting this tac come 30th May. You can read more on the importance of our final league game here (link, Captain Deeg).

Team news and approach

“Will I rest one or two players? Certainly. What is most important for me is for us to win the game on Sunday. We have enough experience in our dressing room to know that what is important is the next competition.”

Unfortunately, we won’t have Danny Welbeck to help our cause:

“Do we have anybody back for Sunday? Danny Welbeck no, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is back in full training today [Friday], and Mathieu Debuchy as well. They might be a bit short.”

I also don’t like nothing was said on Arteta, though him, Oxlade and Debuchy were all pictured in training today, so I don’t exclude all of them making the bench and even coming on at some point. I would love to have Oxlade and Debuchy as fit and ready as possible for the final. Starting Debuchy over Bellerin may even be the sensible thing to do, as the Frenchman is more experienced and more conservative, something that will make room for Theo Walcott in the squad. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

Regarding our approach, I’m torn between two options:

1. Seize the ball, storm West Brom’s goal in search for an early goal and don’t let the foot off the gas
2. Give the ball to West Brom and hit them on the counter

I’m pretty sure Wenger will adopt the former strategy. Both to demonstrate we can break defenses down (thus showing Villa exactly what they will be in for in a week) and because it’s the final home game against supposedly inferior opposition. Arsene rarely utilises the pragmatic approach in front of our own fans, whatever the opponent.

Assuming Wenger really will set his team to dominate, which players are best suited for this?

Defense

Again, I think Szczesny might start. Simply because I have a nagging feeling he will do so in the final and the Pole may need some minutes before that.

Should we rotate the back four and to what extent if so? I’d go with the “don’t fix what ain’t broken” formula. We have a stable (and quite stellar) defense in Bellerin-Mert-Kos-Monreal. These four guys played for the entirety of the second half of the campaign and did brilliantly. So unless Arsene’s planning a surprise start for Debuchy (surprise considering his recent spell on the sidelines), Gabriel (as Arsene obviously prefers Mert to the Brazilian at this point in time) or Gibbs, I wouldn’t introduce any changes. They simply don’t make much sense and we all know how reluctant Wenger is when it comes to rotating his back four.

Midfield

Here EVERYONE could use a rest. Ozil maybe a bit less, as his January wasn’t as packed as Santi’s or Ramsey’s. Coquelin may also be omitted, though in his case for another reason, namely: he’s mostly a passenger in our passing game. That’s why we are linked with Schneiderlin strongly and I wouldn’t be at all surprised should Arsene sign the Saints’ man.

The again, it’s risky just swapping your midfield for something new entirely, so my rough guess is only Cazorla will get a rest and we’ll see a Ramsey-Wilshere-Ozil trio start.

Will either Rambo or Wilshere be able to maintain their defensive discipline the way Santi did against Sunderland? I have my reservations about Jack, but Rambo should be able to do it. As it turned out the Welsh Jesus made five successful tackles against the Black Cats, leading all players. That’s despite playing closer to the opposition’s final third than Cazorla. Make no mistake, though, by saying the attacking side of Rambo’s game suffered that night: he completed over 120 passes, second only to Cazorla.

Attack

Our player of the season is another one badly in need of a rest. Walcott is an obvious like-for-like in terms of position, while Rosicky (who will stay at the Club for another year, link) is a better replacement in terms of overall contribution.

But we have another problem: Giroud is also dead on his feet. Welbeck’s unavailability makes omitting Giroud very hard indeed and so it’ll be interesting to see, how Arsene will manage to give a rest to both Alexis and Ollie.

My guess is that Theo has a chance to start centrally, while Rosicky will play on the left. Who’ll play on the right, though? Oxlade? He’s my pick, however it’s unlikely Wenger will start the Ox in his first game in over two months.

Which means a start for another central midfielder on the right, unless of course Arsene starts either Giroud or Sanchez, which I wouldn’t recommend. Say, Jack on the right, Rosicky on the left and Coquelin in his usual position with Ramsey and Ozil in front of him. Cringe.

The verdict

We only really need to rest three players: Cazorla, Sanchez and Giroud, but it’s proving a hell of a tough job without Welbeck and with not completely ready Oxlade. I honestly cannot find a way to rest these our two attackers without having to play someone out of position. Fingers crossed Wenger will figure something out.

I have to say West Brom could prove tricky. They are on a fine run with 13 points in 5 games, 4 clean sheets and defeated Chelsea and United in the process. Their main threat, Berahino, is also in good form, something he confirmed with a brace against Chelsea. I even wonder whether we’ll be better off with Gabriel for Mertesacker in defense. Just in case.

But we have to win. It’s the final game, a home game and Arsenal should be signing off with a win, especially after a couple of underwhelming results.

So come on you Gunners.

Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland: 3rd

If you came here today to see me bemoan the dropped points, you can turn right around because I won't. I probably would have done that had we lost, but when your team attacks for 90 minutes out of 95, manages 28 shots and has 76% possession, well, that's what I call an effort. And far from an effort worth booing.

Were we profligate at times? (link, Tim Todd) Certainly. Were Sunderland lucky at times? No doubt about it. Could we have won the game? Yes, and it would have been fair. Could we have lost it? Yes, so thank you, David Ospina.

I've heard numerous cries on Twitter at half-time and after the game how this match was similar to the one against Swansea. I couldn't disagree more: Swansea were compact and organised, restricting us to very few shots on target, none of these coming in the first half & we were listless on the day. Yesterday there were gaps between the lines, space to exploit and Sunderland weren't nearly as good at suffocating Arsenal players in possession. What is more, the Gunners really cared about the outcome from the first minute to the last. But it's football, here not everything goes your way.

Let's face it: the draw guarantees us 3rd place and direct qualification. I don't care one bit our points tally will be lower than last year, I only care about our position in the table and marked improvement in games against the big sides.

As the game was a one-way street only, I'll focus on some individual performances.

Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny & David Ospina

It's been some time since I last saw such an accomplished performance from our central defenders. The Mertescielny axis performed brilliantly yesterday, something that was overlooked in the context of the result. It shouldn't have been.

Both defenders played unusually high up the pitch and this was down to us camping in Sunderland's final third for most of the game. My gut feeling was that Mertesacker won the air completely, while his French counterpart made a ton of interceptions. I've later looked up their stats and it turned out I wasn't mistaken: Mertesacker won 5 out of 6 aerial duels, while also making 2 headed clearances; Koscielny made a whopping 7 interceptions. Just wow. Interestingly enough both only combined to a sole tackle, while Cazorla had 3 successful out of 4 attempted.

Also, kudos to David Ospina. Apart from sweeping up on at least two occasions the Colombian made two hugely important saves in the first 5 minutes of the second half and then parried Fletcher's chip late on. Dave made a huge contribution and rightfully earned his 8th league clean sheet.

Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez

All looked dead on their feet, however only Mesut didn't play the full game. The German was taken off with 10 minutes to go.

Santi played the entire game in the deep-lying role and he did grand: 3/4 tackles and a whopping 11 ball recoveries. On top of all that, the Little Magician completed 155 out of his 162 passes: a record for a player in a single PL game this season.

However, apart from maybe Mesut (who created 7 chances from open play), all need a rest. Ramsey also.

Thomas Rosicky & Theo Walcott

Both made an impact upon coming on and I think both should have been given more time. Theo created two goalscoring opportunities in less than half an hour, while Rosicky also had a chance to break the deadlock after a brilliant one-two with Theo.

Most importantly, Walcott gave width to out attacks and was just the man to exploit the spaces Sunderland's defense left behind. His runs and his dribbling were really dangerous, so I struggle to come up with an explanation why Theo didn't start the game. This is not a stab at Wilshere, Jack did alright on the wing and actually set up Ozil for the best chance of the game and almost scored himself from a Sanchez through ball. Still, Jack is not a winger and his natural tendency to drift inside left our right flank empty, while also creating an unnecessary overload in the middle of the park.

Rosicky, meanwhile, was that engine we lacked all game. Wilshere is not ready to be that engine yet, as he is still not at 100%, while Sanchez is knackered. Again, why Sanchez played the whole game or started altogether with a fully-fit Rozza on the bench is beyond me.

Olivier Giroud

Oh, Ollie, why do you have to be so frustrating at times? You know we all love you, why do you break our hearts with such bleak performances? You know you're our only realistic option at CF with Welbeck out, why did you abandon us in our time of need?

I think it's no coincidence that our recent form is so unimpressive. While Giroud was firing we were winning. Last goal Ollie scored was against Liverpool, which was April 4th. Since then, Arsenal struggled, picking up only 9 points in 6 games, while we also needed extra-time to defeat Reading in the semi-final. Only 7 goals were scored in the process & Arsenal was held goalless in three consecutive home games.

So the focus shouldn't be on whether Ospina could have kept Gomis's or Herrera's shot out, it should be on our finishing. And I mean "finishing", we don't have a problem creating chances: 51 attempts in the said home games and 15 chances created by Ozil alone suggest we have no problem in setting teammates up, we have problems tucking away the chances.

The main culprit? Unfortunately, Ollie Giroud. He is our main man, our centre-forward and the overwhelming majority of chances are created for him.

Before I heap further critique on the Handsome French Bloke, I want to put his performances into some context. After making a return from injury in late November against United, Giroud made 31 appearance in five-and-a-half months, only 5 from the bench. Take his three-match ban into account and Ollie should be one of the most used players in the period from December till May.

It showed yesterday. Ollie was a second late for every ball, his touch was heavy, his flicks didn't come off and he only made 39 touches in 95 minutes on the pitch. Just 13 more than Ospina. Nonetheless, Giroud had two very presentable chances, one was saved by Pantilimon, the other he put just wide with the keeper stranded.

The Frenchman is obviously exhausted, though I can't help but wonder how much damage Henry's words after the game against Chelsea did. Giroud's form started to dwindle down a bit earlier, probably after the Liverpool game. However, two bleak performances (Burnley and Chelsea) aren't indicative of anything. The former was a game in which Giroud was doubly marked for the first time + Burnley were fighting for survival. Chelsea, meanwhile, was a game of fine margins, Ollie cannot be harshly judged for failing to score against the Blues.

Then Henry, feeling obliged to say something, said Giroud is not the one and here we are. Ollie relies on confidence so much he failed to score in 7 consecutive games.

Solution? I'd give Giroud a rest and play Welbeck if the Englishman is fit. Both against West Brom and in the final. Or we can give Walcott a chance centrally.

However, it'll be stupid to deny we have a wider issue. If Giroud is so sensitive, we need to have an alternative. Welbeck, Walcott or Sanchez if we are talking internal solutions. Jackson Martinez and Alexander Lacazette if we are talking external ones.

Maybe it would even be wise to consider Giroud second-choice and play someone less vulnerable to criticism as number 1 striker.

Another option is wingers who have goals in them and can save the day if Giroud is not in the mood. We have two such wingers at the Club: Sanchez and Walcott. Oxlade needs to work on his end product.

And of course we can consider bringing in such a winger. Sterling, Reus, Pedro are all possible options, with Reus my favourite. There are rumours flying around Pedro is being offered for as little as £7 million, while Sterling is definitely unsettled. Considering Wenger's comments on how he wants another 15-goal-a-season player, I don't exclude external solution to our problem.

The aftermath

While a draw at home against relegation team is never pleasant (further exacerbated by the fact last time Arsenal player scored a goal was May 4th), it's not the end of the world some paint it as. This point basically guarantees CL direct qualification, because I don't see United overturning an 8-goal deficit. Frankly, I also don't see us losing our last game. So keep calm. And support Arsenal.

Until later

Sunderland preview: guarantee 3rd

Hi everyone.

We face Sunderland on Wednesday in what will be the last match in the 37th round of Premier League games. Man, time really flies. One minute you were scrapping a win against Palace with a late Aaron Ramsey winner, next thing you know there are two league games left to play.

Luckily for us, we also have a nail-biting finale against Villa in the Cup. I'll stock up on Validol, sweets and maybe even go to church before the  game. I just hope we won't demonstrate how fine gentlemen we are by giving the opposition a two-goal headstart.

But before the real fun begins, there's still a small matter of securing direct Champions League qualification (we'll be in 2nd pot this time) and possibly even finishing runners-up in the league. Of course it's now highly unlikely, as City will have to lose to Southampton at the Etihad on the final day of the season while we'll need 6 points out of six, but funnier things have happened. Like United losing out on goal difference in 2011-1012 or Real getting knocked out by Morata or Chelsea going out of the Champions League thanks to David Luiz...

Speaking of Chelsea, do you know they were thrashed by West Bromwich the other day and Fabregas was sent off in the process? THAT was hilarious. Not so much the sending off itself, as the manner of it. If you haven't seen it yet, find a vine or a video on Youtube. You'll have a good laugh.

Back to the job at hand, however and I'll start with the usual bits on team news.

Team news

All my hopes of a return for Debuchy, Oxlade or Welbeck were smashed by Arsene Wenger, who confirmed all three will once again be short. Nothing new on Arteta, so I guess he's also out. The painful part is that Koscielny is likely to miss out due to flu. Fortunately, we have Gabriel and Chambers, so I'm not particularly worried about the state of our defense.

Summing up: Debuchy, Oxlade and Welbeck are definitely out, nothing new was said on Arteta and Diaby (ahem), while Kos shouldn't make it due to illness. With that sorted out, a guessing game is in order. And this time around I think it does make sense, as midweek games imply rotation, only the extent varies.

Defense

Actually, I'm not exactly sure about who starts in goal either. Don't think the manager blames Ospina for the last two goals he conceded, rather that Szczesny may need game time before he plays in the final.

You know my stance on the matter: Chezza shouldn't start in the final as we stand a better chance of winning it with Ospina. However, I'm also quite sure Arsene WILL start Szczesny and as such may see the need to give the Pole some minutes prior to that. So I don't exclude the possibility of Wojciech making a surprise start on Wednesday.

At the back I don't think we'll see anyone new bar Gabriel for Koscielny. No need to mess around with a solid defense, especially since we still need to get a result in this game. Moving on to midfield.

Midfield

It is the place which interests me most. Surely Wilshere, Walcott and Ramsey all gave Arsene food for thought after making a tangible impact in their respective preferred positions against United? Coupled with the fact that Santi looks jaded and Coquelin is often bypassed by his teammates when our passing game clicks. Considering Advocaat himself said he'll be content with a point (Sunderland only need a point in two games to stay up), I expect them to sit back, put men behind the ball and cede possession.

As a result, we'll have plenty of the ball and Coquelin will mostly be a passenger, thus starting Ramsey deeper and Wilshere closer to Ozil may be just the thing to do. Wilsh will run at Sunderland's defense, something we lacked dearly against Swansea which is another benefit of giving Jack his first start since November. Something for Wenger to chew on, if he hasn't already.

Attack

I've touched on how Walcott's impact against United might have presented the Englishman with a better chance of starting and, frankly, I think there should be a place on the team for Theo. Sanchez was subbed with minutes to go and I do wonder whether he was sporting a knock/was slightly ill, Giroud wasn't really effective for the 5th game running and Ramsey shouldn't play on the wing anyway. Just shouldn't.

However, I don't really expect Wenger to omit Giroud or Sanchez, so it's Walcott on the right or Walcott on the bench for me. It's a tad risky starting both Theo and Bellerin, especially if Ramsey starts in Coquelin's place, but we'll see. Like is the case with Ramsey and Wilshere, Walcott did enough in my opinion to earn a start.

The verdict

Out top priority should be a win. Preferably two wins (who knows, maybe City will slip up?) So if Wenger doesn't rotate the squad or just does the bare minimum (like Gabriel for Koscielny), I won't be surprised one bit.

Then again, I think we can realistically expect a squad of Ospina-Bellerin-Mertesacker-Gabriel-Ramsey-Wilshere-Ozil-Walcott-Sanchez-Giroud to get the three points at home against Sunderland who, despite almost guaranteeing PL football next season aren't much to look at.

So come on you Gunners

Back with a review

Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal: point taken

Well, this is awkward. We all know how people tend to overlook the performance in the context of the result. Of course, it's fair to say this is mostly wrong: down the years Arsenal fans have seen good performances aplenty only to see the Gunners consequently lose the match. Many started supporting Arsenal for the entertaining brand of football. Because whatever the opposition and whatever the personnel on the pitch, Arsene almost always tries to take the game to the opponent by exercising an expansive and beautiful attacking approach.

However, you can't say those who put the result above the performance are ENTIRELY in the wrong: after all, only the results are written down in history books and, even among the most fierce fans, only the result will remain etched in their memory in a year or so. Ask me about a particular performance last season and odds are I will recall how we played on top of how the game ended. Ask me about the 2012-2013 season and I'll be hard-pressed to recall the performance. Go back a year more and I won't remember anything.

You probably understand why I've written all that: up to 60th minute or so yesterday our performance was simply appalling. It felt like we just forgot to turn up for the game: a fear every Arsenal fan has before almost every game, be it league or cup. This year we haven't turned up against Monaco at home, for Christ's sake.

Of course I have to add that such a phenomenon was almost non-existent in 2015 calendar year. Yesterday, for almost the entire game, it happened again.

Did City's result affect our attitude? Was it the fear of Old Trafford, a place where we always have a tough game? Or was it a simple desire to not lose a second game in a row? Your guess here is as good as mine.

Whatever reason it was down to (or, most likely, it was a little bit of everything), Arsenal refused to play football up until the hour's mark. Then, suddenly, we've realised, that we actually have to put in some effort if we were to get anything out of the game. But it wasn't until 80th minute when we exploded. The substitutes started having an impact. So I'll start with them.

The actual football

Arsene named an unchanged side for the 6th game running, something he's done for the first time in his tenure at the Club. Whether he genuinely believes these eleven guys are best-placed to get a result or it was a showing a faith in the side that didn't exactly deliver a week ago is question we're unlikely to find an answer to.

These eleven players were pretty listless for the duration of the first half. Apart from Giroud almost finding a way through due to a mistake from Jones, we haven't bothered United's defense at all. United, however, found it tough going creating openings with an ineffective Falcao up front. Nonetheless, Mata, Herrera and Young troubled ours defense throughout the first 45 minutes.

And it paid dividends midway through the half. Young roasted Bellerin on the right and swung in a cross to the far post. It found a completely unmarked Herrera who smashed the ball home.

Now, this goal was very similar to the one we conceded against Swansea and I don't think it's a coincidence. United almost pulled off another move like that later in the game. Fortunately for us, Falcao both couldn't get enough power in his effort and fouled Koscielny on top of that. Arsene should take note we are susceptible to this move.

Apart from the goal, United weren't particularly efficient at creating chances. They did demonstrate some slick passing, but not much came of it.

In the second half we upped our game and United dropped their urgency levels a bit. It wasn't up until Wenger decided to change things around that we really started creating chances.

The substitutes and their impact

Around the usual 70 minute mark Arsene went all in. Bellerin and Cazorla left the field and were replaced by Walcott and Wilshere. Coquelin took up the mantle of a right-back and Ramsey shifted infield to give way to Walcott. And boy did the changes worked.

I'm concentrating on this for two reasons: in comparison, Van Gaal's changes didn't work (Blackett for Rojo and Van Persie for Falcao) and Arsene should be given credit where it's due. He did what most think he's unable to do: he adapted during the game. His subtle changes worked, his gamble paid off, so hats off to the Frenchman.

After our initial trio of Coquelin, Cazorla and Ozil was changed to Ramsey, Wilshere and Ozil our game transformed. The effervescent duo of Jack and Aaron played through Herrera and Fellaini as if they weren't there at all. This led to a) a beautiful goal by Walcott. Yes, Walcott. I know it counted as an own goal, but in my book a deflection is not an own goal. Blackett made no conscious action which led to the ball ending up in the net, so it's a goal by Theo in my book. However, the preceding 40 yard diagonal pass by Ramsey was a thing of beauty in itself. It greatly reminded me of Cazorla's assist against Hull b) a completely different dynamic, one which could have easily allowed us to snatch the victory right at the death, had Giroud not wasted two brilliant moments. We probably didn't deserve to win the game, but hey-ho, United didn't deserve to win at the Emirates.

Olivier Giroud

As I've stated on numerous occasions, I love the Frenchman. I love how he upped his game, I consider him one of the best back-to-the-goal strikers there is. However, I can't help but wonder whether a more technically able forward would have buried one of the chances Giroud was presented with. I think that even Giroud himself would have scored at least that late chance had his confidence levels been higher. They won't, he hasn't scored from any of his chances (only Ozil presented him with 3) and this gets us back to square one.

Do we need a better forward in the summer? Or maybe should Arsene start utilising one of the options already at his disposal, like giving Sanchez or Walcott a go? Both offer different qualities to these of the Frenchman and can become an excellent plan B. Such a shift will require us to sign another winger (especially in Sanchez's case), though it's a topic for another day.

Aaron Ramsey

Simply put, he was gorgeous. When Aaron was shifted inside he became godly. The Welshman provided an assist, he destroyed Herrera and his overall contribution in the last 20+ minutes could have been that difference between a draw and a win. It wasn't, but not because Aaron didn't do enough.

Coupled with a several below-par performances from Santi (is the Spaniard just exhausted?), I think Wenger should consider playing Rambo in his natural position at least in the remaining league games. We all know Ramsey has a wonderful understanding with Ozil, so I can see the triquestra of him, Coq and Mesut working quite well. Of course, on the basis of what I've seen from Wilshere I firmly believe the Englishman is also due a start, especially after he dovetailed with Rambo nicely yesterday. Tough call for the manager on who to drop here, but I think as 3rd is almost assured, he can experiment with a Ramsey-Wilshere-Ozil trio against Sunderland.

The verdict

A below-par performance on the whole, one that could have seen us rip off United for the second time in one season nonetheless. However, I was mostly struck by how bang average United were. Herrera, Mata and De Gea aside, this United side is not much to look at. Alright, count Rooney in. Who else was good yesterday? Blind and Young?

Let's be honest here: it's Arsenal who have performed below-par. Had we turned up, we would have won. When a Club wastes 150 million on transfers and subsequently benches the likes of Di Maria and Falcao to play Ferguson left-overs like Jones, Valencia and Young, you know the Club is in trouble. The scariest thing is that De Gea is on the brink of leaving, Falcao hasn't performed and will likely be returned to Monaco, while Di Maria hasn't adapted, plain and simple.

United's problems aren't ours, luckily. Our main concern right now is to beat Sunderland midweek to guarantee direct qualification and then focus our efforts on strengthening the very good spine we already have. Rumour has it, Brian McDermott was at Lyon vs Bordeaux yesterday, with Lacazette, Fekir and Umtiti the mooted targets. Good to know.

Right, enough said. Back in a day or two with the customary preview.

Until then