The Good, The Bad, The Ugly of Arsenal’s win over Reading

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The Good

https://twitter.com/ArsenalRelevant/status/791016386277638144

Our 12th game unbeaten saw us into the quarter final of the League Cup (Or whatever the competition is now called). With either Man City or Man U, and West Ham or Chelsea set to exit the competition tonight, a cheeky trip to Wembley on 26 February 2017 could be on the cards.

Emiliano Martinez put in a solid performance in goal. I saw him play a few years back in the 7-5 defeat of Reading in the same competition, and he was all over the place. Now 24, he looks to be developing into a decent 2nd string goal keeper. Add in that he is home grown, he has certainly put his name in the hat to deputise for Petr Cech next season if David Ospina leaves the club.

It was good for Carl Jenkinson to get 90 minutes under his belt having been out for 9 months with injury. He clearly loves the club, and is a popular lad. It will be good for him to now quick on and put Hector Bellerin under a bit of pressure for the right back spot.

“Unfortunately no one speaks about the performance of Rob Holding. You should be happy, he is English and 20 years old. I am sorry he didn’t cost £55 million, so he can’t be good.” That was Arsene Wenger back in August. 2 months on and most will agree we have a player on our hands. You have to be careful not to overhype, like what happened with Calum Chambers, but as the minute, at £2million, Holding is looking like a steal.

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A few more youngsters also put in bright performances. Ainsley Maitland-Harriott was quietly effective in the middle of the park. A good defensive midfielder is one is rarely seen. Who gets on with his work efficiently. And Niles certainly did that. This boy is talented. He has the stature and passing ability to become a top central midfielder. He just needs to ignore his mum.

Jeff Reine-Adelaide also looked silky. He was sometimes guilty of holding on to the ball too long, but he was continually on the front foot.

Finally Alex Oxlade-Chamberlainwas the two goal hero, and put in a performance in the League Cup you would expect him too. Surrounded by youngsters, playing against weakened opposition, he stood up to be counted for. He was the stand out player on the pitch and has certainly given Arsene Wenger something to think about for this weekend.

https://twitter.com/KeenosAFC/status/791018588631072768

The Bad

I hate people who go out of their way to find something to moan about in a victory. We won 2-0 and are through to the next round of the cup, blooding some youths along the way. Those that sit there and moan clearly have an agenda and an inability to enjoy a win.

But there is space for constructive criticism. And today that is aimed at Lucas Perez.

It was an odd performance by the Spaniard. He looked off the pace, not match sharp, but that is exactly where he is in his Arsenal career. Someone who is not yet ready. This was just his 2nd start for Arsenal, alongside a handful of minutes coming off the bench.

His link up play was poor, the play often broke down when it got to him. A few times, when presented with the opportunity to put a team mate in, he played a poor pass and the move broke down. Compare this to Olivier Giroud who, when he came on, slotted straight back in bringing others into play.

Perez looked better in the 2nd half, a mazy run led to a chance. But he is so one footed as a player, this will make him predictable in the Premier League.

Another to have a poor game was Mohamed Elneny. He struggled with simple passes, and after a poor performance against Boro at the weekend, and with Francis Coquelin and Granit Xhaka ahead of him, Aaron Ramsey returning, he might struggle for game time in the coming weeks.

The Ugly

Reading put in some robust challenges. One of which ended Lucas Perez’s game. The moan is the change of rules.

After Grant Xhaka was sent off against Swansea, everyone found some new rule that was introduced this summer about it being a red card when a player makes no attempt to win the ball. Well, Reading did that on numerous occasions last night and came away from the game with just 2 bookings.

All we ask for as fans is consistency. And we do not seem to be getting that.

 

Onto Sunderland away. A long old trip up north.

Keenos

Senior THREE set for Reading return

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imagesTonight Arsenal will look to increase their 11 game undefeated run to 12 in the League Cup against Reading. It will be the usual run out for 2nd strings players, to keep them sharp and match ready. We will also likely see the return of Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud and Carl Jenkinson.

Ramsey has not been seen since the opening day 4-3 defeat against Liverpool. Hobbling off after 61 minutes. The negative nancies moaned that he was rushed back from the European Championship – whilst also moaning that Laurent Koscielny did not play.

His return to full fitness has been slow and calculated. Until yesterday, his drive in the middle of the park has not been missed. So good has Arsenal’s form been since his injury that Arsenal had no need to rush him back. Wenger instead deciding to give him a full pre-season.

Ramsey’s return will be well timed. With Santi Cazorla picking up a late, and not yet disclosed, injury which ruled him out of the Middlesbrough game, it is not fully clear how long he is sidelined for. With tough games against Spurs and Man U coming up, Aaron Ramsey’s extra defensive attributes will be well utilised.

Olivier Giroud is finally set to return from being out with a broken penis toe.

Whilst he is not everyone’s cup of tea, he was missed again Boro at the weekend. His return does give Arsenal a plan B, or an alternative plan A. His strength, aerial ability and hold up play is something that no one else in the squad provides, and he is a welcome return.

It will also be good to finally see Carl Jenkinson make a return in an Arsenal shirt. He might not have the talent to ever be first choice right back, having a player who is Arsenal through and through in the squad is a benefit. And he is good enough to play against 60% of Premier League sides, as he showed for West Ham.

He has not played since January, and it will be good to get him back to full fitness to provide cover for Hector Bellerin. A popular member of the squad, his return will give the side a boost.

Alongside the returning 3, it will be the usual suspects in the other positions.

Cup keeper David Ospina will once again be in goal. Rob Holding and Gabriel will play between Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs at centre back.

Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny will continue in the middle of the park, with Ramsey playing behind Giroud up top. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lucas Perez will be the wide men.

Probably line up:

Ospina
Jenkinson Holding Gabriel Gibbs
Coquelin Elneny
Ox Ramsey Perez
Giroud

Keenos

The 0-0, Tight at the top, Alex Iwobi, Nacho Monreal and Two DMs

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The 0-0

As we discussed yesterday, the weekends result was not a catastrophe. As Manchester City dropped points once more (now 5 games without a win in all competitions), it meant Arsenal did no lose any ground in the title race.

A result like this has been coming. We got lucky against Burnley, and Swansea were well worth a point.

The Premier League is the most competitive league in the world. The top end might not be as superior as the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but no other league in Europe, or the world, has the depth that the Premier League has.

In the current top 10, only 2 sides picked up 3 points at the weekend – Chelsea & Liverpool. Everyone else dropped points.

We will drop more points this season, it is going to be a rollercoaster. It is tight at the top.

Tight at the top

ONE POINT.

That is what separates Manchester City at the top of the league and Tottenham in 5th (unbeaten yet 5th. AHAHAHA). The fact that 4 different sides could have topped the league at points this week, depending on goals scored, shows just how tight it is.

Spurs were the first to miss out, drawing 0-0 at Bournemouth. Arsenal then topped the league by a point after the goalless draw with Middlesbrough. A late consolation goal for WBA was all that stopped Liverpool going top, and then Man City came from behind against Southampton to snatch a point to finish the weekend how they started, top.

With Chelsea’s result over Man U, this league looks to be anyone’s for the taking. Except for Man U’.

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Alex Iwobi

The leagues breakthrough star. If he was English or played for Liverpool or Spurs, the hype around this kid would be ridiculous. Luckily for him he declared for Nigeria and he has at Arsenal. Who the media hate.

He has been superb this season, but he now needs to be taking out of the limelight a bit.

At the weekend, he started off brightly, but quickly faded, to a point where in the 2nd half, he saw barely any of the ball. We were carrying him. For the good of the team, for the good of himself, he needs a little break. Just a couple of games, nothing too much, let him re-charge the batteries, work on his game, and come back stronger.

Arsenal’s biggest weakness is down our left at the moment. And his lack of cover for Nacho Monreal is causing a few problems.

Nacho Monreal

On to Nacho Monreal. He had another poor game, beaten all too easy, time and again, by Adama Traore.

He could do with some help from the aforementioned Alex Iwobi, but the reality is he is getting beat fair to easily in one on ones.

Whilst Iwobi could do a better job tracking back, very rarely this season has Monreal been caught in a 2 on 1 situation on the left hand side. The majority of the time he has been beat, it has been in one on one situations where he has either got too tight and been turned, or not got tight enough and the winger has just pushed the ball past him and ran.

To keep improving as a side, every year your weakest link in the first 11 should be replaced. At the moment the weakest link in Nacho Monreal.

Two DMs

I have seen a lot of chatter since the Boro result about Arsene Wenger deciding to pair Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny together in the middle of the park. Why did we start with two DMs? Was the question continually asked.

Well, Santi Cazorla was injured, Aaron Ramsey also out, and Jack Wilshire currently on loan at Bouremouth. We did not exactly have many other options.

We could have maybe put Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the middle of the park, but that would have been a bit of a risk. The majority of the time in his career he has played on the wing, and when he has been in the middle, it tends to be in the Number 10 role, behind a striker, further up the pitch.

Playing The Ox deeper would have been a risk, especially considering the poor form he has been in.

I think Wenger got the team right. Coquelin held, whilst Elneny got forward.

Elneny is not a pure defensive midfielder. He can play. He can create. He is box to box. He is a good player with exceptional passing.

What the weekend showed is how much influence Santi Cazorla has from deep. His two footedness opens up both sides of the pitch. And his passing – short and long – is superior to Elneny. But it is also superior to Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey & Jack Wilshere.

The team we put out at the weekend should have been good enough to beat Boro, but they defended well, and the Premier League is ultra competitive, shown by only 2 sides in the top 10 winning.

On to Reading.

Keenos