Written by Gooner in Exile
West Ham 0 – Arsenal 3
This game doesn’t really require a report the stats say it all:
………………………………..WH ARS
Possession 34% 66%
Shots on Target 6 13
Shots off Target 1 7
Corners 4 10
As complete a victory as you are likely to see. With Song, Nasri and Van Persie returning to the starting line up alongside Theo, Cesc and Wilshere the line up looked capable of winning the game. With Eboue still in for Sagna, and Chesney continuing to deputise for the injured Fabianski we were only two players short of Arsene’s first choice starting eleven.
With those players on the pitch there could only be one outcome, couldn’t there?
To say we started well is an understatement, first to the ball, first to the pass, first to the tackle, the players seemed to be in control of the game from kick off and never looked back. Thankfully our early possession paid off within fifteen minutes, a period of possession leading to Theo having all the space and time in the world to pick a pass, which he did to perfection, a gorgeous stepover from Nasri later and Van Persie was burying the ball in the back of the net with his right foot.
Whilst we continued to dominate possession there was an occasional slip or misjudgement at the back that if punished would so easily have undone all the good work.
One of these moments came from a poor back pass from Big Johan which let in Cole, Chesney was very quick to rush off his line and make a great blocking save to spare JD’s blushes. With every game Chesney plays his stock rises, he gives me an overwhelming sense of confidence, he has the one ingredient that all the best keepers possess, belief in his own ability. He seems to be unflappable, something we have not had the privilege of seeing in the Arsenal goal since safe hands Seaman.
The team needed the second goal before half time, just to settle any underlying nerves, Theo duly obliged with a left foot strikers finish rounding off a lovely move involving Cesc, Clichy and Nasri. The great thing about the finish was Theo’s desire to reach the ball before Bridge, moving around him to apply the decisive touch like a true centre forward.
The second half was more of the same, complete domination of possession, Chesney was called on to make another fine save from Sears miscued cross, but the result was never in doubt and the players ran out at a canter.
Van Persie converted the third from the penalty spot after Theo had worked his way in to the area and debut boy Bridge completed a pretty disastrous day by bringing him down.
Nasri gave us something different today and showed us what we were missing against Leeds and Ipswich, a player who is willing to run at and past defenders either with ball at his feet or with little give and go passing. He gave another string to our bow today and he sure knows how to play it.
The early goal helps us, we now need to see that we can play this way for 88 minutes without scoring and nick a game 1-0, then we can start dreaming of trophies.
Player ratings:
Szczesny……….9
Koscielny…….. 8 (calmness personified)
Djourou………. 6 (few tricky moments under pressure from Cole)
Clichy …………. 7
Eboue …………. 7
Fabregas……… 7
Song …………… 7
Wilshere …….. 8 (continues to play with maturity beyond his years)
Nasri ………….. 8
van Persie….. 8
Walcott ………. 8
Some may think the 7’s harsh, but I just think they all did what was expected of them no more no less.
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Morning all
Thanks for the match report GiE, its much more fun when you only have to agonise about whether to give players 7’s, 8’s or 9’s
If this is the team that Wenger has been dreaming of for the past 5 years then he must be a happy man. Hopefully, injuries permitting, they’ll find some consistency now and we can all enjoy the ride for a while 😀
Song was an 8. Otherwise, couldn’t argue with your assessments.
Calling our best GK “Chesney” is disrespect.
S Z C Z E S N Y
Sorry but Song deserves 8 (:-P ) he was always where he needed to be and almost scored at one point when he was at his most confident in front of goal.
Morning,
Excellent match report GIE. I think Song’s 7 was about right. He was very good but he also played a few sloppy passes in the first half that conceded possession in dangerous areas – but he was good 😛
You (and Rocky from a previous article) are right that AW knows his best 11. If we can keep the 10 fit and TV returns in February, we can beat Barca and win the Prem. Big ‘ifs’ for a team with our injury record, but there is always an element of luck in winning a title (look at a mediocre manu top of the league) maybe it is our turn to have good fortune – Messi injured for both CL legs ??
GIE. Fine report.
I would have given RvP the MOM award, his movement was outstanding and he deserved a 9
A statistic you didn’t show was the comparable pass accuracy. Once again we were into the mid 80%’s as opposed to WHU who were in the mid 60%’s which highlights how hard our players work when the opposition have the ball.
fari ratings, but i think szczesny and songs ratings should both be 8. but off topic can someone tell me who is the arsenal player screaming at ruud in the photo to the right? awesome photo, haha!
Oh dear steve. That is Martin Keown
Thanks GiE, great read.
When any chav says it doesn’t matter who owns your club, I say look at Sullivan, Gold and Brady. Scuzzers!
Sorry Rasp, but I am still in the Totts to win today club. Every point off Utd matters I think. I am also confident enough that Spurs will not catch us. Lets go for the league!
Morning Raddy,
RvP was back to his best – which is a level above every other striker in the prem. The last time he looked that good was when he was brought on late against totnum when we were 2 nil down. He had just come back from injury, scored one, had several great efforts and was unlucky not to get us level.
One point though, I think after his first two free kicks were unsuccessful, he probably should have let Nasri (or even Theo) take one. The penalty was excellent, he was completely focused.
I am even more convinced now than when I said it a few months ago, but the success of our season will be determined by injuries. No to training I say!
No need to apologise micky, I want a draw and then manure to go on a long ‘beaten run’ 🙂
Rasp, unfair, you never mentioned the long beaten run 🙂
Apologies for my 9 for Chesney but goalkeepers union and all that 🙂
But at 1-0 a very important save was made what would have happened to the morale if we had conceded a sloppy equaliser?
As for RvP he was very good, his quickness of mind allows him to take up intelligent positions with his movement alone, Nik B and Chamack could learn a lot from watching him.
GIE. Good point. When RvP comes deep it is an attacking option, when Nik comes deep it is to get a feel of the ball !
Australia should get a 9.5 for that chase 😆
Johan was better than eboue. Eboue is a disaster waiting to happen. He left Johan open too many times. Sorry GiE, but IMHO Johan 7 Eboue 6.
RVP was master class & it shows how important him being match hardened is for The Arsenal.
That photo of the Gooner boyz celebrating is interesting. Why is the West Ham player putting?
😆 gnarley, he’s decided to give up football….
At least he cares…..
Shame Watson couldn’t produce in the Ashes. No-one really cares about the one dayers until the WC.
I am ambivalent about the Spurs game today. Torn between a draw and a Spurs win. The worst would be yet another lucky MU win
Raspy 🙂
The Hammers didn’t give a yelp really did they.
Gee thats convenient BR. Anyone would think all that matters is what matters to England when they win. Thats pretty sour grapes/pompus. Anyway, could we really win a 4th straight WC. You lot haven’t won any.
Naaaa we played like crap today, we’d have to improve in a few departments to win the whole thing.
Excuses, excuses! Who are the poor losers now 😆
I’m with you gg on EE. I just don’t know what he is thinking half the time. JD did make some silly mistakes but he is having to cover for EE as he goes missing. Again yesterday I saw him jogging back when we had lost possession making no attempt to catch up with play. As a result JD had to come across and that left too wide a gap between him and kozzer (who had a very good game)
We can get away with it against wham, but not any of the top teams.
Mind you rasp, JD did do some silly things early which better sides may have punished. But Eboue must be an Arsene Wenger favourite to be still hanging around this long. Maybe he is good around the change rooms. If so he is a well paid jester 😆
BR
Can you tell the MCC to look after our Ashes, so that when we come to collect them in 2013 they are still fit for the Brasil of cricket 😆
Night all. Come on Spuds
gg,
I just think he is too excitable – exuberant if you like. He loves to go forward and just forgets his first responsibilty is to defend our right flank. This is where the coaches have to do their job.
I hope the players are shown detailed video footage of games and it is pointed out to them when they have made mistakes as well as when they play well.
I made a point about our need for a Youtube striker. My problem with Eboue is that he has way too many YouTube moments!
micky,
On another subject, I watched our players jumping out of tackles in the Leeds and Ipswich games. Bearing in mind the importance of keeping our best players on the pitch for the rest of the season, do you think they are under instruction or just treating those games as less important? My feeling is the latter, and that may explain why we drew one and lost one.
Rasp,
Interesting question, and I don’t know the answer. My guess is that they go into some games expecting a “good old fashioned Englsh encounter”. In other words, a good kicking!
Going to clear off now. Back for the Spuds game.
Before I do, can I leave anyone here with a thought. I mentioned here during the game that I thought maybe TH had had a word with Theo. I noticed one or two Henryesque additions to his play. Am I alone?
Yes micky, I agree. Theo has made some additions to his skill set. Watching him in the interview after the game I was struck by how young he still looks. I think he may be a late developer and there is a lot more to come from him. Perhaps when he and TH were in the squad together he was just too young to learn from him.
Micky. We can but hope! Wouldn’t it be wonderful for English football if Theo can live up to our expectations? For once a decent human being would be an England football hero
Just saw KMS comment at 10:36am, in response calling him Chesney is in no way disrespectful it is a term of endearment.
Just wait until we sing “We’ve Got Wojcech Szczesney” to the tune of “I am the One and Only” 🙂
Don’t worry about it GiE, I left the comment on but it is just silly. It is far more disrespectful to Arsenal and this site to focus on that rather than our convincing victory yesterday.
GIE. Whenever life is getting you down just remember you could be as pedantic as a KMS 🙂
Top top write up GiE.
Very good performance from the boys. Agreed re ‘the lanky pole’ – how disrespectful is that. Lol. Crucial saves at crucial moments. Little bit of work on his kicking and he’s possibly a future world no.1.
RVP….top top class !!
Afternnon All.
Radders, saw your shout out the other day. Cheers.
As for when did I get out, I havent, it was more about smuggling a smartphone in. Ouch ! I really don’t know how Ashley Cole enjoys that….
Cryptic comment alert !
English football. Wayne Bridge. On 90k per week…..at West Ham. Problem??
There are unconfirmed reports that TV has given an interview to a Belgian magazine saying he’s undergoing surgery on his ankle this tuesday.
You will all know that I’m not a smart ass who likes to say ITYS 😳 but I predicted this 3 months ago….. It’s probable that the right course was to hope that surgery wouldn’t be necessary but inevitably it is and the delay simply costs time. If the report is true, let’s hope his recovery is a matter of weeks rather than months – or that it really does force us to sign a quality, prem ready CB.
Lets hope that the surgery is successful and that TV recovers quickly.
Makes you thankful for JD’s step up this season, and for Kozzer settling in so quickly and so well.
Afternoon all, if the Verminator has to have surgery why on earth have our medical staff taken from August till January to diagnose this?
If any of us made such a monumental botch-up in our professional lives it would be a case of instant dismissal surely?
Really good write up GIE. 🙂
Agree with your ratings too, give or take, except for Eboue.
Eboue is, as GG said, a disaster waiting to happen, or, as Rasp commented, he simply stands and watches as the opposition sweep past him, leaving recovery to an over-worked JD. He has no positional idea at the back, no end product going forward, goes to ground far too easily, and should be nowhere near any Arsenal team!
Apart from that, I like him. 🙂 Rating 4 … oh all right then, a generous 5.
To those who disagree; that’s OK … just don’t expect me to change my mind!
Welcome back Frothing! 🙂
Now you have your iPhone again please promise .. no Cole type ‘photos for our delectation. 🙂
Continuing my Chesney love in, does anyone else pick up his calling on the effects mics? A couple of times against Ipswich and West Ham you could hear a shout of “Keepers” I’ve never picked up Fab or Almunia but it could just be the proximity of crowd mic to the pitch at those grounds.
I take on points about Eboue yesterday but I think Kozzer was left just as exposed by Clichy at times and came through unscathed. It just appeared to be an off game for JD yesterday as others have said probably a few too many games and tired legs.
This article seems to suggest that a March return is unlikely for TV5 and more likely his season is over.
http://anotherarsenalblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/vermaelen-and-his-achilles-heel.html?
Great chary – and his injury was sustained whilst on international duty. I guess the Belgian FA are paying us compensation….. NOT
It wouldn’t be an Arsenal season if we didn’t have a key player out for pretty much the whole season due to an injury sustained on international duty.
It does look vaguely annoying, our most valuable centre back possibly crocked for all but 2 weeks of the season.
Hmmmm…..
BTW, things go from bad to worse for the ‘dippers, one nil up, now 2-1 down at home in the local derby.
Ouch.
If Glenn Johnson is the best English right back then it is time I got the boots back on.
Still this L’pool game is good for the neutral and much better than the dross served up at the Stadium of Light
3 games, 3 draws – all we need is for the 4th game to be drawn and I’ll be very happy.
Is that what you wanted to tell me 😀
Soap and water on standby as I think my mouth is going to need a lot of washing in next 90 minutes. Goalless draw is all that’ll stop it happening.
Excellent write-up GiE and agree with most of your ratings. I would probably give Fab and Song an 8. And, at risk of offending the GKs’ Union, I would give Chesney only a 7. For me a GK gets a 9 for a near faultless performance with multiple great saves. Yesterday Chezzer made one brilliant save (from JD’s bad back pass) and one decent one (the cross/shot), but his kicking was very poor and I thought he seemed quite indecisive at times.
I realise I’m a bit of a lone voice on this, but I think Fabianski is ahead of Chezzer at the moment.
Rasp
A 0-0 draw with a couple of sendings off.
I hope MU lose. We need to make up ground.
If I remember correctly we play them near the end of the season. Wouldnt it be a special game if both the Championhip and their unbeaten run was on the line??
Kozzer is great! clichy is great! cesc loves arsenal! walcott is developing! RvP is back!, we have nasri!! song has been brilliant! JACK and WOJ ARE 19!! and SAGNA’s back!
this can and will be a big big season, just a bit of belief from the fans would be great!
Rocky,
“A 0-0 draw with a couple of sendings off”. Looking very promising.
I’m still no nearer knowing how I want the result to go. A draw would be best I think. Spuds taking the lead and a last minute equaliser by Berba to make Spuds fans feel sick would be nice.
United taking the lead will be worst as I’d have to cheer on Spuds for rest of the game.
GiE,
Think big. Spurs 2-0 up with ten to play. Then the draw!
micky 🙂
The two ManUre goals both coming from penalties in extra time, both resulting in red cards for the Spuds.
Hotly disputed penalties of course!
That will do. Got your wish Rasp.
How can MU be unbeaten after 21 games? They are SO dull, but I guess a fine defence will take them to the title unless we can stop them
Agree BR, but I wonder where they’ll trip up. Their next seven fixtures are:
Birmingham (h)
Blackpool (a)
Villa (h)
Wolves (a)
Man City (h)
Wigan (a)
The only hope in that lot is Citeh – but after their performance at the Grove I think we all know how adventurous they’re going to be at Old Toilet.
Mind you, after those seven games they face the Chavs in London…
Just to let you all know we win the league by a point from United in May without having to beat ManUre or Spuds (draws are enough). City and Chelsea take the other CL spots
West Brom, Fulham and West Ham are going down
I just did the Premier League Predictor on the beeb’s website 🙂
GiE 🙂
I’ll settle for that!
Sorry to be late to the party (been cooking all day). Nice write up GIE, but I have to agree with Rocky: Cesc and Song deserved better marks and Szczesny (can’t see the problem with calling him Chesney) was a 7. One top save doesn’t a MoM make.
It was a top performance from virtually everyone in a yellow shirt yesterday, albeit against a poor version of an already poor West Ham side. But despite the high quality of our attacking game, I was left with serious concerns about Djourou. Yes, Eboue can be a nutter to have to cover but Djourou was way off the mark on a number of occasions. The fluffed back pass was only the most obvious error in an overall poor performance.
Coupled with his poor game vs Ipswich, and the obvious lack of any cover, I am worried that his fantastic form of a few weeks ago has completely evaporated.
Rocky, worth looking at United’s nine fixtures after the ones you mention (from 1 March to 7 May):
Chelsea A
Liverpool A
Bolton H
West Ham A
Fulham H
Newcastle A
Everton H
Arsenal A
Chelsea H
A tough run, they could easily drop plenty of points in that lot, especially bearing in mind their very poor away form.
Making up two points on them this weekend is great, another one of those, and getting ahead of them is within our control. There is the small matter of us getting some consistency going, especially at home, but it’s definitely possible. This second half of the season is going to be exciting……
Rasp, your right he should have had the surgery at the very beginning. Really depends on exactly what he is getting done. I had my achilles rebrided when I had an achilles tendon problem, lost 40% of the tendon and this reduces power….It also can take a very long time to recover. I’d be amazed if we see him this season, lets hope so, he will have more physios and doctors round him than I did and that should help…Once I know exactly what he is getting done it will be more clear how long, but I reckon 4-6months….Maybe back for CL final………..
Back to the comments on the match, I do think some are getting a tad over excited, at 2-0 I just wasnt comfortable, not one bit. If we had conceded we would have took a massive wobble….We still need to learn to kill teams off……
I do rate JD but that was his worst performance since returning, I agree Eboues constant wandering left JD exposure a bit, but he just seemed to panic and lack composure at times, especially when trying to hold players off….Perhaps when BacMan returns he will be ok.
I thought Kozzer did ok, certainly best defender on the day, but he needs to get a bit more aggressive for me, just seems too nice at times…..I might have to watch the highlights again, as I didnt think he deserved an 8, we all have our opinions and I respect that.
Clichy worries the pants off me and that is a frightening thought, I wish he would stop turning back onto himself and dwelling on the ball, that was how Spuds got back into that 4-4 game at the grove, he did it about 3 times that I can remember and each time he was in a panic immediately.
Can’t remember who said about RVP been on another level to all other strikers when on form, I agree he is definitely World class and he will make such a difference in the remainder of the season…..To be where we are without the involvement of RVP, Fab and Theo and TV for a considerable chunk is fantastic.
Right now I do agree that the title is in our hands, but involves buying a CB and maybe another surprise signing….
And as others have said, remaining injury free is a must……roll on leeds, early lead and kill them off is the order of the day….No jitters please…..
Harry, “the title is in our hands, but involves buying a CB”, I agree 100%, that now looks to be a season-defining piece of business. Crossed fingers it happens and the right player is brought in.
Great comment Harry, nice read.
Personally I think Kozzer is all controlled aggression. Whilst he’s not the snarling spitting type, I do think he gets all his challenges in very early and is very decisive in everything that he does.
In terms of nice, yeah he helped the guy up after blasting the ball into his gonads, and I’ve no problem with that, so long as he’ll happily do the same thing again five mins later.
Hi Harry, a very perceptive comment.
Have I invited you to write a post for us yet? – if not, it’s well overdue. There’s no pressure, but since your last comment was a post in itself we can see that you are a natural !
Good report GIE
I have just watched the game again and I cannot see what Eboue did wrong, I accept that he was all over the place against Ipswich but yesterday? I got the feeling he had been spoken to because he seemed an aweful lot better.
Last thought: if Vermaelen has surgery in the week and Wenger does not buy or loan a CB I am going to go mad.
Hi London,
I agree EE was better yesterday than in his performance against Ipswich, but I still maintain that if we were laying against a top team he would be the team’s achilles heal 😦
There has to be something in his make up that he can’t control because it must have come to his attention that the diving and playacting doesn’t endear him to Arsenal fans and is often counter productive for the team. We will always have time for a player who tries his hardest even if he lacks ability, but to watch EE trotting back when the depleted defense is under pressure is galling.
Rasp, I agree, but I reckon EE is a better back up right back than Gary Neville or Paolo Ferreira. Still, would be lovely to have a right-sided Gibbs.
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