Well met, Welbeck!
Two of the most under pressure players in the league, Mesut Oezil and Danny Welbeck, delivered a magnificent response as they alternated the roles of provider and customer, to elevate Arsenal from a dispiriting loss to Dortmund midweek. Aston Villa of recent has provided crucial inflection points in Arsenal’s fortunes as the Claret and the Blue bruised and bloodied them in last season’s opener. Amidst the ensuing and engulfing angst and self recrimination, the Gunners found themselves to mount a sustained comeback taking them to the top of the league. Yesterday, the Clarets gave much needed succour to a stumbling Arsenal visiting Villa Park with more questions than a 3 year old.
The match was ambling along at a frustrating pace till the 31st minute when Arsenal decided to release the Kraken from its Hadean depths. Danny Welbeck showing his versatility burst through midfield and released Mesut Oezil in a more central role with a perfectly weighted pass splitting open Villa’s defense. The German latched onto the ball, checked up field, and coolly slotted the ball past Brad Guzan. Calm and composed as you like. A minute later, Oezil now down to the left, collected Aaron Ramsey’s pass and with Welbeck making a beeline to the far post, swept in a cross behind Villan lines to connect with the striker. Welbeck, his first Arsenal goal and more importantly, a crushing weight off his shoulders. The Gunners had to wait a bare two minutes for the third as Kieran Gibbs charging down the left channel posted a raking cross which probably would have found the Ox far post but with the threat level at a raging red, the Villan defense’s mental breakdown was complete as Cissokho steered the ball in for an own goal. 192 seconds of destruction stunning Villa Park. Annihilation nation.
In retrospect, this match was actually living on the edges prior to this outburst as Villa was definitely getting the measure of Arsenal, with a series of corners and free kicks, one which almost led to a goal with Ciaran Clark’s header being kept out by Szczesny’s last second intervention.
The second half response never came. With a number of starters missing through illness, Villa went limp. Carlos Sanchez, drafted as holding midfielder had a mare. Arsenal were content to slide into sterile domination as they passed the ball around to safety and three points. 741 passes collected, the most by a Premier League side in the last two seasons. Mesut Oezil was responsible for 54 forward half passes for a giddy passing accuracy of 91.5%. Most pleasing was Arsenal’s protean look, achieved by his linking with Welbeck. In fact, Alexis Sanchez was an after thought and with the Chilean and Theo Walcott’s injury return, Oezil should be able to provide many more of his synaptic connections, now more so in his central to left role. Having Ramsey just ahead of Arteta in a more restrained role also boosted that ball retention although the Welshman was somewhat guilty of glory hunting and indiscipline straying far too forward. Cazorla on his return after a two match absence went in much deeper, consciously connecting the backfield.
Now, have we “laid down a marker” or is this a blip? Encouraging as this was, have we found a template? Opposing sides, especially the cannier ones who are yet to come, are sure to react. We saw Oezil do what he does best by protecting from what he does worst. We don’t have the quality in holding midfield but if we can by some consensus by committee provide that then we will be be in an infinitely better position. And oh, Frances Coquelin providing the only defensive cover is not good. Not good at all. Calum Chambers noteworthy performance aside, some of his challenges were a bit too rash and he was a distinctly lucky boy to not receive a second booking.
The whole kit and caboodle: