| |
Club Focus – Arsenal – Wenger rings the changes to beat the New Year Blues
For the second game in succession, Arsene Wenger made eight changes to his starting line up, this time reinstating the side that recorded the impressive 3-1 victory over Chelsea. Saturday again saw the Gunners notch three past the Blues, as another impressive performance suggests the weekend’s starting XI is Wenger’s strongest.
In a Premier League weekend littered with deflections and own goals, Arsenal were bang on trend, benefiting from one of each on their way to victory. Robin van Persie’s free kick took a significant deflection on its way into the net to open the scoring, before a calamitous Roger Johnson own goal put the game beyond doubt at 3-0. As well as a handsome away win, the eight changes to the line up saw Lukasz Fabianski record Arsenal’s first clean sheet in eight games, although this was aided by the decision to deny Birmingham a penalty. Cesc Fabregas vehemently criticised the officials for failing to award Arsenal a penalty in their last match, but van Persie was fortunate when the ball struck his arm in the area and nothing was given. Ultimately, the Gunners were good value for the win, but the element of fortune in two of their goals cannot be ignored.
Given Birmingham’s formidable home record, the manner of the weekend’s victory is no less impressive than the clinical dismantling of Chelsea just under a week earlier. With the disappointing draw against Wigan Athletic separating the respective clashes against the Blues, Wenger tellingly restored the starting line up that had hustled and bustled Chelsea so effectively. In recent weeks criticism has been levelled that Arsenal have over-emphasised the physical side of their play in an attempt to redress a perception of weakness in the side. On Saturday Wenger’s men produced the right blend of physicality and flair as they maintained their focus on attacking football whilst standing up to Birmingham’s robust challenge.
St Andrews is always a difficult ground to visit for the Gunners who, prior to Saturday’s victory, were without a win at Birmingham in nearly 5 years. With memories of Eduardo’s horrific leg break continuing to linger, Arsenal feared the worst when Fabregas was on the receiving end of a crunching challenge from Lee Bowyer. Fortunately, he sustained no significant damage and went on to play a key role in the side’s victory, noticeably in his link up play with Samir Nasri for the Gunners’ second.
Whilst Wednesday’s draw against Wigan was a setback, in context, Wenger’s squad rotation may have made the latest victory possible. Having called for a winter break, Wenger declared his admiration for the festive schedule, declaring: “It is the charm and craziness of English football.” Having gained seven points from a possible nine over the festive period, and with an extra three days rest before entertaining Manchester City, it is easy to see why Le Professeur is caught up in nostalgia.
See the full list of OLBG's free Football Tips here.
Related Articles
| |