Arsenal Goal Blitzes Key To A Title Bid

Match Review: Watford 0 Arsenal 3 - Premier League 17.10.15

Three-nil makes Saturday’s result look like a comfortable victory for Arsenal, but the Gunners had to work very hard for their victory. Watford are a very tricky side to break down and a win at Vicarage Road is not an achievement to be sniffed at. There are a lot of difficult away trips for us to get through this season and we can now tick this one off the list. Importantly we’ve also backed up our big win over United and kept pace with City after their demolition of Bournemouth.

Arsene seems to have a set lineup now and it’s working a charm. A lot of people doubted whether the Coquelin-Cazorla axis would work in big match ups this season, but we’ve kept clean sheets at home to Liverpool and United and we were matching up well against Chelsea until Mike Dean intervened. They were also part of the team that came away from the Etihad with a 2-0 win. When all are fit, the team picks itself and I think we’ve got a really nice balance to the side.

The first half was a struggle and although we had most of the ball and the better chances, Watford were well in the game. Alexis had an effort saved by Gomes and Ramsey should have scored when picked out by the Chilean at the far post. But at the other end, Ighalo and Deeney were an awkward pairing to deal with and the latter forced Cech into a smart save. We don’t often face sides that play two out and out strikers, so maybe it was a little tricky to adjust to, especially with their pace.

Often in these away games though, the home side will drop off in energy and that’s when we come into our own. Our squad has great stamina, particularly players like Alexis, Ramsey and even Özil, who averages more distance covered per game than every Arsenal player apart from Ramsey and Arteta. That’s right, ‘lazy’ Mesut Özil covers more ground per game than Alexis does. This is why we’re a nightmare for a lot of teams. They have to work so hard to contain us, but when their energy levels fade, we have more than enough in the tank to keep causing them problems.

Watford didn’t help themselves by being too adventurous going forward and when holding midfield Capoue went charging forward and attempted to win a penalty with a dive worthy of a former Sp*rs player, they were left light at the back. Alexis burst forward and passed inside to Özil, who played a lovely one-two with Cazorla. Chelsea loanee Ake scythed Özil down for what would have been a certain penalty, but Alexis took advantage of the loose ball, hammering in off the post.

Going behind after putting in a lot of effort to stop an opponent must be quite demoralising and we took advantage ruthlessly, making it three within twelve minutes. First, substitute Giroud hammered a lovely Özil cut back into the roof of the net after some nice play from Alexis, then Ramsey finally got the goal he’s been desperate for, albeit via a kind deflection. Credit for the third has to go to the excellent Bellerin, who laid it on a plate for Ramsey after a run that included sending Ake into early retirement.

These blitzes that we hit teams with are becoming more and more common and quite frankly I’m loving it. It’s a great habit to get into as well because it floors the opposition and makes it nigh on impossible to rally. Couple that with one of the most effective, yet underrated defences in the league over the last year and we could be right in this title race. Obviously it is still very early days and we have an inevitable injury crisis somewhere on the horizon, but I think we as fans need to find some belief. If we can believe in this team and get right behind them the players may pick up on that. Some belief and backing from the fans certainly won’t be the difference between maintaining a title challenge and not, but it could definitely help.

Teams

Watford (4-4-2)
Gomes (Y), Nyom (Y) (Berghuis 69’), Prödl, Cathcart, Ake, Capoue, Watson, Anya (Paredes 81), Abdi (Ibarbo 75’), Deeney, Ighalo
Subs
Britos, Behrami, Gilmartin, Paredes, Ibarbo, Berghuis, Holebas

Arsenal (4-2-3-1)
Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker (Y), Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Alexis (Chamberlain 80’), Özil (Arteta 81’), Ramsey, Walcott (Giroud 64’)
Subs
Macey, Debuchy, Gibbs, Chambers, Arteta, Chamberlain, Giroud

Player Ratings

Cech - 7/10 - One good save and one awkward moment which just about handled
Bellerin - 8/10 - What a player he could be, he has absolutely everything
Mertesacker - 7/10 - Did well coping with two quick forwards
Koscielny - 7/10 - A couple of mistakes, but overall he was solid
Monreal - 7/10 - Mr. Consistency
Coquelin - 7/10 - Like Koscielny, couple of lapses, but overall solid
Cazorla - 8/10 - As the space started to open up he really hurt Watford
Alexis - 8/10 - Somehow played at full tilt despite international exertions
Özil - 9/10 - In wonderful form and unstoppable with his movement and vision
Ramsey - 8/10 - Hopefully the goal will give him confidence and spur him on
Walcott - 7/10 - More peripheral today with less space in behind, but still a threat
Subs
Giroud - 7/10 - Cracking finish and could have had another with a header
Chamberlain - N/A
Arteta - N/A

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Match Review: Watford 0 Arsenal 3 - Premier League 17.10.15