Arsenal’s season finally clicked into gear with a comprehensive 4-1 over a 10-man Hull at the KCOM Stadium last night.
Alexis Sanchez opened the scoring for the visitors with a fortunate touch on Alex Iwobi’s shot to deflect the ball past goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović. Jake Livermore was then shown a straight red card five minutes before half-time after blocking Iwobi’s goal-bound effort with his hand, however, Sanchez failed to convert from the spot.
Theo Walcott combined well with Iwobi to notch Arsenal’s second goal with a neat flick past Jakupović, only to be helped in by the head of Hull defender Harry Maguire. The Tigers responded through Robert Snodgrass’ penalty to cut the visitors’ lead after Petr Cech fouled Dieumerci Mbokani in the box. Arsenal controlled the remainder of the contest though and added two more – a close-range drive from Sanchez and a wonder strike from summer signing Granit Xhaka – to top off the comfortable win.
Alexis Sanchez is not a centre-forward
The Chile international proved to be the match winner, however, there are still question marks surrounding Arsene Wenger’s decision to start him at centre-forward. Sanchez was at his dazzling best when involved in the intricate build-up play where his boundless energy and neat footwork perplexed the Hull defenders, but looked out of sorts in his unfamiliar role up front. His immense dribbling and balance are not fully utilised when he is selected to spearhead Arsenal in the final third, but is unleashed when threatening from the wing. He did manage to score two slightly fortuitous goals, but was generally wasteful given the excellent delivery he received. The gamble paid off for Wenger in this fixture, yet Sanchez will not be provided as much space and time and will find it difficult when up against the Premier League front-runners.
Alex Iwobi continues to impress for Arsenal
The emergence of Alex Iwobi has been enormous, and he demonstrated his full potential against Hull. The 20-year-old has such attacking promise – he intelligently occupies space, actively attempts to get involved, and was heavily involved in Arsenal’s transition to goal. His back heel assist to Walcott was very easy on the eye, and his positivity ripples through the rest of the team. Even against a physical side like Hull, Iwobi held his own and showcased his trademark flair and ball control. He has pushed England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain down the pecking order, and ‘the Ox’ will have to get comfortable on the bench if young Iwobi produces this kind of performance regularly.
Hull need to lock in Mike Phelan for the long term
While his side was comfortably outclassed, interim manager Mike Phelan has done enough in his short time to prove he is the right man for the job. Despite the 4-1 scoreline, the Tigers showed no signs of yielding after going down to 10-men and were left to rue the harsh scoreline which arguably flattered the visitors. Phelan’s future at the KCOM Stadium is unclear with reports that club owners have offered him the permanent role, but hit a snag over a dispute with wages. Following his impressive start to the season with a side riddled with disarray, he will be a worthwhile investment to the club.
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