Arsenal regress in losing Emirates Cup performance
The happiness surrounding Arsenal’s performance in their first match of the Emirates Cup was quickly stomped out by AS Monaco today, as they held on for a slim 1-0 win that saw the Gunners unable to win their annual tournament.
The Principality side would only need a 37th minute header from Colombian hit man Radamel Falcao to take all the points from the hosts; the goal itself would be enough to make manager and supporters frustrated alike, but underneath the surface, the same issues that have plagued the Gunners for years would come to the fore.
A first half which featured Olivier Giroud reminded many that Arsenal are perhaps far better off in the final third without the Frenchman
While the Gunners would produce free flowing, creative, and incisive football yesterday, their performance today was lethargic and bereft of the right amount of creativity, which led Arsene Wenger to bemoan his side’s performance in his post-match presser;
"“We have made a demonstration that in 24-hours a lot can change in football. As much as our performance was sharp, creative, dynamic and mobile on Saturday, today it was static, lethargic and not convincing at all. I feel that many players had not recovered completely physically and that we were not completely ready. But congratulations to Monaco. They were better than us. Sharper, stronger, and we lost the game because we deserved to lose the game.”"
It must be said that Arsenal’s attack yesterday, led by Joel Campbell and Yaya Sanogo, two players who still have everything to prove at the club, was far more dynamic and fluid going forward and in the final third. But when the boss called on his first team regulars, apart from Alexis Sanchez, the side lacked enough penetrative football to really pose a threat in the first 45-minutes.
Despite many flocking to his banner of late, Olivier Giroud showed yet again that he slows Arsenal’s movement going forward rather than aiding it. Both Yaya Sanogo yesterday, and Sanchez in the second half today, proved far more effective through the center in not only finding space for themselves, but making forward runs into key areas that would creative space behind them for others as well. While Giroud is not a bad footballer, today was further evidence that Arsenal well and truly just may be better with him not in the XI.
Alexis Sanchez would play the lions share of the match today, featuring at both wing positions and through the middle; his good showing for the duration of his deployment was no doubt promising
Sanchez did show today that he can perform in various roles for the club in the upcoming season; always lively when he was on the wing, his ability to notice the runs of his team mates and his willingness to take players on was evident. When playing through the middle, the Chilean did a brilliant job finding the seams in Monaco’s back-line and causing far more problems with his movement off the ball than Giroud could ever imagine.
For the second appearance in a row, Calum Chambers put on another fine display at center-back for the club. Despite it being the pre-season, strong showings against Benfica and Monaco will do wonders for the youngster’s confidence coming into the season, though Wenger hinted at a different role for the England U-19 captain;
"[when commenting on whether his future is at center-back or elsewhere] “He can play as well central midfield because he’s got good technique, good mobility, and is a great distance runner. At the moment it’s where I can have a look at him [center-back]. But I think he can also play central midfield.”"
Whether Wenger truly has his mind made up on how he plans to use Chambers, Gooners should be impressed with the way the player has settled at the club so quickly. Just the same, his ability to play four or five positions means that Wenger will be able to maximize his potential at the club.
As for the midfield issues that were evident and glaring today (at least for me), yet again, Arsenal struggled when faced with an opponent that could deploy combative players; Geoffrey Kondogbia and Joao Moutinho offered up the physical side of their game, and as we have seen so many times before, Arsenal struggled in that department.
Another battling performance in the midfield by Arsenal’s opposition brought out the worst of Jack Wilshere, who seems increasingly unable to cope when faced with a physical struggle.
Jack Wilshere yet again failed to turn in a performance when faced with such opposition, and it’s of the opinion of many that perhaps he has progressed as much as he is able. Still unable to be consistent in the tackle, routinely muscled off the ball and always looking for a hollywood ball that gives possession away, it’s possible that Wilshere has peaked; he’s certainly shown more signs of regression than progression in the last year or two.
The Gunners take on League champions Manchester City next weekend in the Community Shield, officially opening the 2014/2015 Premier League campaign. While they’ll still be without the German trio of Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski, the match will offer the perfect moment for Wenger to gauge his side as the season creeps ever so closer.