Arsenal secured their sixth consecutive Premier League victory, beating Newcastle 2-1 thanks to an Olivier Giroud brace, to keep up the pressure on Manchester City and retain their strong position in the hunt for Champions League football. What did we learn from Arsenal's crucial win in the North East?
Arsenal reliant on resilience to secure three points:
The Gunners admittedly rode their luck during the second half. They led 2-0 at the interval and were in cruise control, but in the second-half John Carver’s men played with far more intensity and purpose. Arsenal did look slightly fatigued in the closing stages, as you would expect after their gruelling European excursion in midweek, however they showed impressive tenacity and grit to close out a pivotal win in their travails for Champions League football next season. Their resilient second half rear-guard was epitomised once again by the performance of Francis Coquelin. Coquelin has been a revelation since returning to the Emirates from his loan spell at Charlton in December; his mobility, positional awareness and desire are a brilliant combination, and the Arsenal side of three or four months ago would arguably have surrendered their lead today. It was far from vintage Arsenal, but it was an indication that they have the necessary fighting qualities and maturity to improve and mount a serious challenge next season.
Chambers is a fantastic prospect, but not at right-back:
Calum Chambers has enjoyed an excellent first-season at Arsenal. A defensive injury-crisis in the first half of the season meant that the 19-year-old was virtually an ever-present in the Gunner’s side; his versatility was invaluable for Wenger, who was able to rotate him accordingly; Chambers has deputised at right-back, centre-back and defensive midfield throughout the season. Nevertheless, there are concerns about Chambers in the right-back position. Chambers played predominantly in the right-back role for Southampton and looked exceedingly comfortable in that position, but since arriving at the Emirates in August, Chambers has looked far more assured at centre-back. He reads the game well, is composed on the ball and strong in the tackle.
However, he does lack pace, which is a crucial attribute for the modern day full-back. His lack of electric pace is further exposed by Arsenal’s attack-orientated philosophy. The Gunners are so intent on attacking, their full-backs are often left exposed to two against one situations on the overlap. The case in point was away to Swansea, when Chambers was terrorised by Jefferson Montero. There is no doubt that Chambers possesses massive potential and will be a valuable asset for Wenger in the future, but whether that future lies at right-back, particularly due to the emergence of Hector Bellerin, remains debatable.
Wenger continues to adapt:
One of the biggest criticisms levelled at Arsène Wenger is his lack of tactical adaptability. Admittedly, the veteran Frenchman has a clear philosophy and maintains his principles, but it’s essential as a top manager, to have a clear vision of how you want your side to play. Yet this season, Wenger has shown greater tactical flexibility; in their last two visits to Manchester, the Gunners have beaten both City and Manchester United, playing a predominantly counter-attacking game, whilst closing off the spaces in midfield. Wenger sacrificed his usual offensive style, and opted for a more reserved approach, which gave his side far stronger defensive stability.
Wenger has also been more flexible in terms of selection depending on the opposition, which was in evidence yesterday. With Papiss Cisse serving the second of his seven match ban for spitting, Newcastle lacked a focal point up-front, with the trio of Sammy Ameobi, Ayoze Perez and Remy Cabella operating in a free-flowing, interchanging attack. As a consequence, Wenger opted for the pace of Gabriel Paulista, with Per Mertesacker dropping to the bench. This decision paid off handsomely, as Gabriel produced an assured performance in only his third Premier League start. Wenger finally has the squad depth he has craved for years, therefore he is now able to rotate accordingly. His rotational policy appears to be paying dividends, because whilst Chelsea and Man City are looking rather sluggish, the Gunners seem fresh and hungry. This could be invaluable as the season nears its close.
Giroud - World Class striker?
Olivier Giroud continued his fine goal-scoring form for the Gunners with another brace against Newcastle; his eighth goal in six games against the Magpies. It’s also Giroud’s eighth goal in his last nine starts, and his 13th Premier League goal this season. His goals yesterday were typical centre-forward goals. His first came from Santi Cazorla’s free-kick; he anticipated Danny Welbeck’s flick on and instinctively prodded the ball past Tim Krul, whilst his second goal was about hunger and desire; he beat Mike Williamson to the header, arrowing Cazorla’s cross into the bottom corner.
Considering he was absent for the first three months of the campaign and suspended for three games, his goal scoring tally is mightily impressive. Interestingly, Giroud has 17 goals in all competitions, just one less than Diego Costa. That’s with Costa having seven more appearances than the Frenchman. The former Montpellier man also has four assists to Costa’s three. Yet Costa is perceived as world-class, and Giroud is considered by many as an also-ran. You wonder if it’s Giroud’s modest transfer fee of £12m that means he isn’t placed in the world-class bracket. Nevertheless, his overall game has evolved significantly over the last 18 months and he continues to score vital goals. It’s about time people started taking Giroud, and his ability, seriously.
Arsenal’s set-piece improvement:
After Arsenal’s disappointing 2-2 draw with Hull City at the Emirates in October, Arsène Wenger admitted that his side had to utilise set-pieces more effectively. The Gunners had 15 corners but posed no real threat to Hull’s backline. However, fast-forward five months and Arsenal’s set-piece improvement has been very impressive. The North Londoners have scored 16 goals from set-pieces this season, the second highest in the Premier League. They have a lot more options, with Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil sharing the set-piece responsibilities.
However, it’s abundantly clear that they have worked on a number of specific routines in training, with Olivier Giroud scoring several goals due to near-post finishes. Over recent seasons it seemed set-pieces were an after-thought for Arsenal; they were often more vulnerable from their own corners, in terms of being caught on the counter-attack. Their added set-piece threat has given them an extra dimension and has won them some crucial points; which was the case against Newcastle yesterday.