Özil-less Arsenal Scrape Win Over Newcastle In Glorious Round Of Results

Match Report: Newcastle 0 - 1 Arsenal - Premier League 29.08.15

With Özil missing with a slight knee injury the question before the game was how would we line up. The introduction of Walcott and Chamberlain to the starting XI was a sign that we expected to play on the counter, exposing Newcastle with blistering pace in periods of transition. The other telling point for me was that the duo of Coquelin and Cazorla were retained in the centre with Ramsey ahead of them. It would have been easy and probably expected for Arsene to play Santi at 10 but his decision to field Ramsey there clearly points to him viewing Coquelin and Santi as his preferred central pairing.

We started well with a couple of examples of our counter-attacking pace, with Bellerin also looking to move forward whenever possible. Monreal took an early blow and the referee took this opportunity to mark his authority on the game by booking Sissoko. Walcott had been given the central striking berth he so craves and he should have put us ahead when an excellent ball was knocked down to him in the box but he struck the ball straight at Krul.

The referee then made perhaps his only error of the game by missing a clear penalty for us; as Bellerin broke into the box he had his heels clipped yet no penalty was awarded. He was called into action a few minutes later though as Mitrovic challenged Coquelin. The Serb drew his leg back for added momentum before raking his studs down Coquelin’s shin and foot. Andre Marriner showed no hesitation in producing a red card. At this stage Newcastle seemed to lose their discipline completely with another 2 going into the book soon after, although Mbemba could have the excuse that at least he was cynically blocking Sanchez on counters rather than trying to injure. The major chance of the first half was when Sanchez picked the ball up and unleashed a dipping shot from around 25 yards, Krul parried it straight in front of himself rather than to the side and Walcott sprinting in ballooned the rebound over the crossbar.

The reason for the lack of chances was that after the sending off, Newcastle dropped back which completely removed Walcott from the game. With no space to run into and no real chance of influencing the game with his back to goal it essentially meant we were playing with a passenger. Without Giroud as a target we were hesitant to cross as well, with Monreal and Bellerin getting into good positions but having to check back as they knew that crossing the ball would basically just be surrendering possession. 

Around 5 minutes after the break however we went ahead. Ramsey created space for the shot which Krul did well to parry, Chamberlain then picked the ball up and shot across goal. The shot was going wide but Coloccini, desperately reaching to block the shot, diverted it into the corner of the goal. Sanchez then had a good opportunity with a strong left footed finish after great play from Ramsey but Krul once again got a strong hand out to save.

We hadn’t been making full use of the flanks but Monreal remedied that with a brilliant run and overlap before cutting it back to Chamberlain who got it all wrong and diverted it out of play for a goal kick. In the latter stages of the game we pressed the Newcastle players well as they began to tire and we had a few more chances. Cazorla had a couple of shots comfortably saved and Giroud had a shot saved right at the death when he probably should have scored.

One thing that was noticeable from the match was that Gabriel looked more comfortable today than he did last Monday. We would expect that, being beside Koscielny and facing a weaker team but he was strong in his challenges and dominant in the air as well as being assured on the ball, with some great forward passes throughout the game. Another was that Newcastle appeared to be targeting Coquelin with some heavy challenges, perhaps to get him to retaliate. There remains a higher degree of focus on him from refs and pundits due to the fouls committed at Palace and today it appeared to be a cynical ploy to get him to lose his temper.

Finally, onto the topic of Walcott. He was almost completely ignored during our play yet he should have had at least one goal. He would probably argue that the sending off impeded his game but if he wants to play as the centre forward he needs to be adaptable. He can’t be regarded as a first choice option there, which he so desperately craves, if he’s playing with the caveats that; the ball can’t be played aerially to him, there has to be a certain amount of space behind defences or the ball can’t be played to him to hold it up. He has his strengths, yet the percentage of games he’s actually suited to as a striker remains minimal. I’d like to see him return to the right, with the freedom to move centrally to support Giroud as he did in his stand-out season.

Teams

Newcastle (4-5-1)

Krul, Janmaat, Mbemba (Y), Coloccini (Y), Haidara, Anita (Y)(Pérez - 72'), Colback, Sissoko (Y)(Cissé - 78'), Wijnaldum (Y), Thauvin (Y)(de Jong - 87'), Mitrovic (R) 
Subs
Cissé, de Jong, Obertan, Pérez, Tioté, Darlow, Taylor

Arsenal (4-1-4-1)

Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Chamberlain (Arteta - 81'), Cazorla, Ramsey, Sanchez, Walcott (Giroud - 70')
Subs
Ospina, Debuchy, Chambers, Arteta, Giroud, Gibbs, Campbell

Player Ratings

Cech – 6/10 - Had absolutely nothing to do and was only in the picture for about 5 minutes.
Bellerin – 7/10 - Got forward well and showed his excellent recovery pace a few times. Should have had a penalty.
Koscielny - 7/10 - Covered well and also looked to move forward a few times, taking advantage of Newcastle’s reduced numbers.
Gabriel – 8/10 - Assured display, dominant in the air.
Monreal – 7/10 - Great as always, covered any potential breaks well and always looked to join attacks.
Coquelin – 7/10 - On the end of some rough tackles but held his composure well.
Santi – 8/10 - Harshly booked but always looking for options going forward. Actually had a few shots on target today for a change.
Chamberlain – 7/10 - Typical performance really, got the goal for the team but careless in possession and passing could improve.
Ramsey – 7/10 - Given a rare chance at 10 he always looked to support Walcott.
Sanchez – 6/10 - Had a few shots saved and blocked. Still doesn't look 100%.
Walcott – 5/10 - Really should have scored, impact limited by sending off.
Subs
Giroud – 5/10 - Offered a focal point and drew couple of fouls. Should have scored.
Arteta – 5/10 - Few neat passes in short time he was on.
Bonus
Krul – 8/10 - Played well against us again with some good stops. Wears the expression of a paedophile constantly terrified the police are going to kick in his front door.

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