It wasn’t a secret last season that we had issues with our defence. We were crying out for Wenger to buy this summer to strengthen the back four, but when Clichy left for Manchester City, the need seemed to be more important than ever.
Kieran Gibbs made just 20 appearances last season as Clichy was always preferred. When he did play, he got injured several times, and left the field 3 times in 3 games due to injury. However, when Clichy got injured reaching the end of the season, Gibbs started the remaining 3 games. He needed to prove himself to Arsenal fans because some of the games he played earlier this season hadn’t always reflected him in a good way.
We always knew we had Gibbs as cover, and when he played in matches in the Carling Cup, he played well. Maybe it was due to the fact they were smaller opponents. Also, we never really had many major difficulties because the likes of Walcott and Wilshere were shining. When there were mistakes, Szczesny seemed to have it sorted. With this potential, it appeared Arsenal’s defending problem was solved and there was no need to worry if Clichy missed the occasional game. Although, when it got to big games, Gibbs rarely played his best. He continually showed his inexperience and made many fans frustrated.
So, with Clichy gone and no new left backs in sight, it seemed that the Benfica game on Saturday night was a perfect way for Gibbs to shine. He started off brightly, making good clearances. He had some great ideas, running down the wing, but struggled when Benfica were breaking, finding himself backtracking quite a bit. Just after the half hour mark, when the pass came from Arshavin in the opponents box, Gibbs was ready. He got the ball, and looked up to see if anyone was there, ready to get the ball into the back of the net, something Clichy hardly did. He picked out van Persie, and Arsenal were 1-0 up. In the second half, it was if a different guy was playing. He looked sloppy, gave the ball away in dangerous positions, and Benfica took advantage of it. It wasn’t just Gibbs’ fault, it was the whole defence. They weren’t quick enough to respond to the goal, and sure enough, Arsenal conceded again. I think the team lacked ambition to go on and win. Maybe it’s due to the uncertainty over Fabregas’ and Nasri’s future; they’re both key players. But, we learnt a lot from that match, and it’s important we sort the problems out for next weekend.
Only time will tell if Gibbs is good enough. I’m sure he’ll grow into the role, as Clichy did when Cole left, but time isn’t on our side. We’ve got a tough week with Liverpool(H), Udinese A) and Manchester United(A) and that isn’t the time for our defence to slip up. We need them on top form, and hopefully, this might be our season.
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