Toothless at Stoke, headed to Anfield

Another week gone by, another point racked up. Though the 2 points that have been gathered are far from what is ideal for Arsene Wenger’s men, Gunner fans don’t need to look too long back to remember how the start to the season could be much, much worse. Not to say that last season is a reference of any kind, a relative to build your performance on, but the first two games could have been much worse. After all, Arsenal have more points than Liverpool, Tottenham and Real Madrid, and lag by only 1 point behind Manchester United.

There are plenty of positives to be taken from the first two games, but it’s understandable that not many people like to point them out because it’s so much more fun to make fun about Robin Van Judas leaving. However, Arsenal fans have no reason to be disheartened and already lose belief in the hopes that this is the season – their season.

I believe in looking at positive things in life so let’s start with the greatest positive so far – the defence. That the media was so critical (and rightly so) of Arsenal’s defence last time round and that not a word about it this year has been published anywhere except Arsenal-specific blogs/websites is a shame, though not entirely surprising. Who in their right mind would like to praise a team who hasn’t won silverware since 7 years and who, only a year ago, suffered their greatest defeat in the history of their erratic manager? Well, I would like to point out that the defence has been an exceptional improvement over last year, even with Sagna’s absence, who, I feel is perhaps the best in his position in the league. While it’s only been two games, and in the same way that Arsenal fans need not be disheartened at the toothlessness of the Arsenal attack, there shouldn’t be excessive optimism about the defence. That said, Steve Bould’s influence can really be seen in the side. There has perhaps never been as much expectation from any assistant manager as there is from Bould, probably because the fans remember him as the commanding centre-back they felt safe to rely on. Mertesacker’s Bouldesque near-post flick against FC Cologne was perhaps a sign of things to come. Despite Koscielny’s injury, Vermaelen and Mertesacker have looked commanding at the back, barring Mertesacker’s poor positioning against Sunderland 10 minutes into the game. Jenkinson, too, after receiving not too much applause for his performances last season, looked untroubled against the fierce (for lack of a better word) Stoke. While it is only 2 points from 2 games, it is also 2 clean sheets, and while next week at Anfield will prove a sterner test of the defence’s resolve, there is absolutely no reason to believe that this Arsenal side will let few between the posts, which Szczesny expertly stands tall between.

With the departure of Alex Song, who was voted Arsenal’s 2nd best player last season (after Judas), it did look like Arsenal’s back four would be exposed. However, in retrospect, Song wasn’t the Defensive Midfielder that guards your back four all the time. I guess that makes him not a DM at all. On numerous occasions, he could be spotted running forward with the ball looking to chip one over the defence. While that succeeded in getting him a huge number of assists and Arsenal a fair amount of goals, that did leave Arteta tracking back trying to shield the defence. Now, if before the close of the transfer window, Arsenal do not buy a DM, it will be a sort of a 4-2-3-1 with both Arteta and Diaby responsible for restricting the opposition’s movement in the centre of the park. That should not be a concern for Arsenal fans. However, the lack of squad depth in that department if Wilshere’s return is delayed should be. And there’s nothing to be said about Cazorla that doesn’t suggest that he’s one of the best attacking midfielders in the league, and capturing a 27-year old player of that calibre is an amazing piece of business by Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. He is everything that Cesc was, and more. With quick feet and direct style of play, his alacrity leaves all viewers mesmerised. When the Arsenal attack does start to click, it would be a safe bet that the young spaniard would be at the heart of it all.

Jamie Redknapp’s comments about Podoslki and Giroud not being in the same league as RVP are too premature and, considering Podolski’s international stature and RVP’s performance until a season-and-a-half ago, seem like hogwash. Arsene Wenger expertly fought back those comments. There may not have been any goals, and that is supposed to reflect the potent of any attack, I suppose, but there have been positive signs. It has not looked like a Liverpool side with a frustratingly tall figure with long hair upfront. Both the teams that Arsenal played against preferred to sit back, and that is the most difficult kind of side to score against. On the break against Stoke, Giroud showed that for all his strength and handsomeness, he does have some pace in his feet. Podolski’s work rate is inspiring and if Wenger’s intimation about him not being fully fit is to believed, that rate will only go up. Giroud’s hold-up play against Stoke was a joy to watch for Arsenal fans. After all the years of bullying at the Britannia, here was a man in an Arsenal shirt giving a physical challenge to 2 bullish Stoke defenders. It’s only the third prong of the attack that concerns me a little. Gervinho and Walcott are both similar players in terms of style of play. They both like to run at defenders (or behind them), but the delivery leaves everyone asking for more. An answer to these problems may be Oxlade-Chamberlain, who in only a few months has shown his exceptional quality with Arsenal and the national side at the Euros. He is also not afraid to shoot from distance, which would certainly cause a defence all sorts of problems.

All said and done, Anfield should be a place easier to score at than the first two games. Liverpool have conceded 5 in their first 180 minutes of the season. And they will not be expected to park the bus at home. That should leave plenty of space for Arsenal to develop its counter-attacks and be lethal. What excites me most is the test of the defensive qualities of the team against a genuine attacking threat. Another clean sheet would be outstanding, and if you add a goal to that, everybody’s focus should be brought back to what it matters – the team, the manager, the players, and not the emptiness upfront in the shape of Judas.