Last Sunday’s shock defeat to West Ham served as a major wake up call for Arsenal. Early season bubbles of optimism were burst in a forgettable performance at both ends of the pitch which left the Gunners faithful once again questioning whether their team is good enough to sustain a lengthy title challenge.
The Hammers were superb as they efficiently nullified the Arsenal attack, limiting them to only half chances while looking a constant threat on the break. It was a disjointed performance from the home side who lacked any sort of fluency and cohesion going forward.
The words ‘cohesion’ and ‘stability’ have been preached by Arsene Wenger throughout the pre season. The Frenchman believes the team’s positive results towards the back end of last season were down to having a settled lineup, highlighted by the midfield pivot of Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla.
The two compliment each other perfectly, as Coquelin’s tenacious tackling and Cazorla’s ball-playing artistry provide the appropriate balance between defence and attack, something Arsenal’s midfield has desperately lacked in recent years. The duo also work extremely hard for each other with Coquelin’s positional discipline meaning Cazorla is rarely isolated in defensively vulnerable positions.
It was expected that Wenger would opt for the same pairing with the opening day of the new Premier League season looming large, however, and to the surprise of many, Wenger decided to go with Aaron Ramsey to play alongside Coquelin in the middle of the park. This meant Cazorla was deployed on the left, a decision that seemed to go against the 65 year old’s idea of ‘cohesion’ and ‘stability’.
Cazorla’s outstanding technical ability means he is able to operate on either flank when called upon, but his lack of pace means he is not able to get at the opposing full backs like a natural winger would. It is no secret, the Spaniard is better served playing centrally.
Due to the revelation of the Coquelin and Cazorla partnership, Ramsey found himself playing on the right hand side of midfield last season. Wenger has a habit of attempting to fit square pegs in round holes by shunting midfielders onto the flanks in order to accommodate all the creative talent at his disposal, and in Ramsey’s case its no different.
The Welshman has been vocal in his frustration of not playing in his favoured central midfield position. Even after a breakout 2013/2014 season where he won Arsenal’s Player of the Season award after a dominant first half of the season where he netted 16 goals in all competitions including the winner in the Gunners’ FA Cup final triumph over Hull City.
Injuries have not helped the 24 year old’s cause in cementing his place in the Arsenal starting lineup as a box to box midfielder. However his prodigious talent means Wenger would prefer to squeeze him into an unfamiliar role rather then playing more orthodox wingers.
This all came to a head on Sunday as Cazorla’s influence was minimal, while Ramsey’s performance was erratic, continually relinquishing possession and depriving Arsenal of any sort of fluidity and tempo. Cazorla’s neat and controlled array of passing was sorely missed in the middle of the park.
Coquelin’s performance suffered a dip also, failing to complete a single tackle after averaging 3.5 per game last campaign. The Frenchman was substituted in the second half in an attempt to chase the game after the Irons had doubled their lead.
West Ham’s life was made a lot easier due to Arsenal’s lack of width, as Slaven Bilic’s men were allowed to sit in and remain compact without being pulled out of position. Fullback’s Mathieu Debuchy and Nacho Monreal were able to get forward but their final ball was lacking, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had some early joy but faded as the game went on.
With Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott available for selection, Wenger has options to reshape his front half when the Gunners face a tricky trip to Crystal Palace this Sunday. As the old saying goes ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ and this must apply to the Coquelin and Cazorla double act.
Wenger has to make the hard call and demote Ramsey to the bench for the benefit of the team’s balance. A slow start cost Arsenal last season and another slip up this weekend would set alarm bells ringing. It is time to get back to basics and a positive result against a rejuvenated Palace outfit could kick start the Gunners season.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
