Stoke VS Arsenal: Another Stalemate

KEEP CALM, DEFENCE LOOKS ENCOURAGING, GOALS WILL COME

Match report by @MDGunner

I am actually surprised that a lot of people complained about the way we failed to break down a resolute Stoke City defence and grab some goals. Well for me, I was more concerned about how we would deal with their horribly bullying set pieces and long ball tactics. It even got worse when news filtered in that Sir Wojciech Szczesny would be missing the game due to some strange injury.


In came Don Vito Mannone and a lot of us quickly remembered that horrific performance in Greece against Olympiacos and the way he flapped a simple shot played to him against Cologne.

Wenger’s team selection was predicted as he went for strength, height and physicality by keeping Walcott on the bench and going for the front 3 of Gervinho, Giroud and Podolski. The German striker started pretty well by dropping deep and taking more responsibilities. He also provided good support for Gibbs down the left flank.

The thing that stood out in the first half was the way we stamped our authority on the game. Arteta was very majestic in the anchor role with Abou Diaby covering for him the few times he drifted forward. Santi Cazorla was everywhere in the attacking third and he dictated the pace of the game from that position brilliantly. I was a little surprised at how deep Tony Cluelis set his team up to defend at home. They failed to put us under pressure and we responded brilliantly to all sort of bullying tactics they brought to the table.

The selection of Olivier Giroud was very crucial. I know a lot of Gooners want him to hit the ground running due to the void created by the departure of Mr Glass ( I can’t even be bothered to type that goat’s name). What I looked out for was the number of headers he won, his link up play and movement off the ball. Also important was the way he was positioned very close to Mannone for set pieces to protect him against the Stoke bullies- it worked perfectly well. That was also the first time in a very long time that I saw an Arsenal centre forward dominate two Stoke City centre backs at aerial balls. He tormented them all game.

The midfield was impressive ad Diaby against proved how important he can be against teams like Stoke. He was slow at times and game the ball away a few times but overall, he had a solid game. He helped the defence well and showed his impressive ability of turning defence into attack. If you thought that midfield trio was going to get dominated against Stoke, well I am sure they gave you a very definitive answer. Back to Arteta, I wished Song watched the game today and saw how to “really” protect a back four. Arteta did not play like a typical “defensive midfielder” but he protected the back four excellently well. I could not ask for anything better. There was a moment where we lost the ball deep in Stoke’s half and they were going to hit us on a counter but Arteta was there to block a dangerous cross into the box. I am not sure Wenger will keep him in that role especially if he brings in a defensive midfielder (e.g. Etienne Capoue, Yann M’Vila, Biglia, Cheick Tiote or Yohan Cabaye) but at the moment, he is doing well.

The attack again failed to really light up the park but we have to consider how deep Stoke City defended. A point to note is that no top 4 team won at the Britannia last season. Gervinho was his normal self with some few brilliant flashes but yet he failed to pick those dangerous final passes. He says he aspires to be like the French maestro, Robert Pires and that is some dream. I wish him all the best.

Podolski had a better game but it was obvious that he still needs to work on his sharpness and fitness. As an experienced German international, I am very sure he will come good. Olivier Giroud’s presence in that centre forward position gave the two Rugby Union centre backs something to think about. I really enjoyed that. We beat them to their own game, talk about “giving Stoke a Stoke”.

A lot of Arsenal fans are very disappointed that we have not found the net after two games and are beginning to pile up pressure on our strikers, especially Giroud. All I can say is that firstly, we have to forget about Mr Glass and stop judging our strikers by his standards. I hate the Club for letting him leave let alone go to Man United but there is nothing we can do about it. He is gone for life and we need to deal with that. More importantly, I also refuse to believe that Giroud is another Chamakh. He is perfectly suited for the English Premier League. He was knocking balls down like it was nothing and understands how to use his physique. He won’t get a lot of goals but he will be a lot more instrumental than the Moroccan forward. By the way, who noticed the way he constantly helped the defence neutralize the aerial threat of the rugby bullies at set pieces? That is one of the things what we can expect all season.

It was obvious that we didn’t create enough chances in the final third despite all the brilliant defensive work done. I think one of the things missing is the second creative “deep lying” creative spark in the middle; someone that can drop dangerous balls into the box from deep- something similar to what Alex Song did averagely well last season. Santi Cazorla is a brilliant attacking midfielder but this is the English Premiership, most teams will park the bus against us and most times he will be faced with brick walls. We need another creative spark in the middle to take that pressure off him. Jack Wilshere is that player that comes to mind but of course you and I know we can’t rely on his fitness after spending a lifetime on the sidelines.

Arsene is all about creativity and it is obvious we are not setting the league on fire with our creative nous at the moment. I am eager to see who he brings in before the transfer window shut on Friday.

Don Vito did well today (I am eating my words) contrary to what most of us believed. Personally, I thought he would be bullied and tested throughout the game but he was simply composed and didn’t even give us a reason to rue Wojciech Szczesny’s injury. I acknowledge the fact that Stoke City didn’t really test our defence enough but I am sure you and I know that their main tactic is to defend and take the few chances they get via set pieces. They have used that against us to a devastating effect in the past and it has worked.

Once again, I am really glad that for the first in a very long time, our defence looked “coached”. Our boys were very well organised against a Stoke side that puts over 90% of its attacking game plan on set pieces. I am sure you will agree with me that goals will come but one thing we have not been able to sort out is our abysmal defending record. I can’t stress how important it is to build a solid defensive unit. As Gary Neville noted on Sky, the way we dealt with them defensively was the best he had seen in a very long time. It is only reasonable to say that we can take some positives from that.

Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs did very well by ensuring they didn’t give away too many free kicks in dangerous areas. Most especially, Gibbs, who looks to be developing into a fine left back. He understands what he has to do to keep Andre Santos out of the team and he is doing that well.

Wenger tried to inject some pace in the game by bringing on Oxlade Chamberlain and Theo Walcott; and Ramsey also replace a burnt out Santi Cazorla later in the game but Stoke stuck to their defensive tactic and had Asmir Begovic to thank for taking 2 weeks to take goal kicks. No wonder then have not won a premier league game since April 7th.

I believe we will still add a player or two to the squad before the next game but only God knows who we’ll get this time after missing out on Nuri Sahin. Fingers crossed. Next stop-Anfield.

Player Ratings:

    Vito Manonne: 7 – Nothing much to do all game but dealt with pressure brilliantly when called upon. Decent game.
    Carl Jenkinson: 7 - Another decent performance from the inexperienced right back. The fact that he played 90 minutes at a difficult ground without us complaining about him shows he can improve.
    Per Metersacker: 7 - BFG had another good outing today and I am sure he would be proud of the way his partnership with Thomas Vermaelen dealt with the threat of Per Crouch. It was so bad that Tony Cluelis had to change his mind about bringing on Kenwyan Jones.
    Thomas Vermaelen: 7.5 – Strong defensive performance from our new captain. Strong in the air and ferocious in tackles. I am sure Arsene would be considering introducing Laurent Koscielny at right back when he gets back from fitness. I don’t see him touching this partnership.
    Kieran Gibbs: 8 – He stands out without a doubt considering his size and height. His sliding tackles were simply outstanding. He is beginning to learn the rudiments of defending in the English Premier League. He made Pennant look like a spectator today.
    Mikel Arteta: 9 – Man of the Match. What more can I say about this guy. He knew his role and what he had to do. There was no Alex Song there to pretend to be a defensive midfielder when all he does is drift out of position every time. I hope he can stay fit this season, he’ll be crucial to our success.
    Abou Diaby: 7 – He was slow at times and gave the ball away needlessly but his presence in the midfield today was very evident. You simply can’t bully him when he is playing and his partnership with Arteta today ensured we were not all over the place in the middle of the park. He needs to be more creative and decisive in the final third though.
    Santi Cazorla: 7 – Had a very dominating first half but got tired in the second half. I am sure Wenger can’t wait for the return of Thomas Rosicky as the little Spanish magician would be needed a lot of rest very soon. He was unlucky not to grab a goal today again.
    Gervinho: 6 – We all want this man to do well as he’s got a lot of potential but still his decision making in the final third can be erratic. He worked hard before being subbed but he needs to be more efficient and effective in creating chances. He has quick feet and can dribble so it should not be too hard to sort himself out. He has a lot of time to prove himself this season though.
    Olivier Giroud: 7.5 – Classic centre forward. Worked tirelessly and gave Stoke all sort of problems. He missed a few chances but I am sure he will settle and score goals for us.
    Lukaz Podolski: 6 – Adapting to the English Premier League is not a bed of roses. He faced another mean defensive team again today and I feel it is good for his initiation. He will know what to expect in coming games. He played better than the last game but still didn’t threaten the Stoke goal enough.

You can follow @MDGunner on Twitter.

Culled from WAZOBIAGOONERS