Ever since Arsenal overwhelmed Everton 5-1 on February 3, with new signings Henrikh Mhkitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang both integral to the result, the Gunners have won just 1 of their last 3 matches, and few players have distinguished themselves with their performances. That trend continued on Thursday night, with Arsenal lucky to advance to the Europa League quarterfinals on a 4-2 aggregate score after capitulating in the home leg to FK Ostersunds 2-1. No player availed himself on the night, and it was one of those performances that causes lasting annoyance among supporters who rightfully expect better in a match against such a comparatively minor opponent.
Danny Welbeck started as the lone striker and handled the physical responsibilities well using his body to shield the ball from the active Ostersunds defence, but he was inept in front of goal, never once working the goalkeeper with any one of his attempts, including a lacklustre chipped shot that fell softly into Keita’s waiting hands. The attacking midfield trio of Mhkitaryan, Jack Wilshere and Alex Iwobi, where Arsenal expected to generate most of their attacking chances, struggled mightily to combine in the final third, with far too many passes finding the opposition. The trio was poor tracking back in the first half, and despite improving for the second, none ultimately deserve consideration for the match’s best player. Ainsley Maitland-Niles was pulled at halftime after struggling for much of the first 45 minutes, and Mohammed Elneny played the same as he always does, making few mistakes but even fewer memorable, positive plays. Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac were surprisingly busy in their fullback positions, and both made positional mistakes that lead to scoring chances.
This leaves just the two central defenders, Rob Holding and Calum Chambers, as well as goalkeeper David Ospina to get match honours for the Gunners. Ospina misses the cut because he allowed two goals, both along the turf and arguably savable by a higher class goalkeeper. Chambers was solid defensively and made one slaloming run out of defence with the ball late in the match, but he was also unable to deflect the first goal away from danger as it glanced off his foot and continued into the net. Rob Holding was probably the best defender on the night, blocking shots and timing his tackles well, but he was a step slow recovering on Ostersunds first goal, and part of one of the most impotent performances this team has put on in recent memory.
By Process of Elimination…
That’s all the starters out, so who on earth could the Man of the Match be you ask? Well Gooners, it is none other than the polarising pivot himself, Granit Xhaka! The Swiss midfielder came on for Ainsley Maitland-Nilesto start the second half and immediately had a calming effect on the Gunners’ defensive solidity. Xhaka has had his struggles defensively this season, and he has received a disproportionate amount of criticism for making mistakes this year, but the fact remains that he is one of Europe’s best ball-retaining centre midfielders. His pace is easily the biggest weakness in his game, but his footwork has improved as his head has caught up to the pace of the Premier League. He is a cerebral player who is always turning his head this way and that, keeping tabs on the 20 outfield players at all times. He can still get caught thinking in moments when he should just be reacting instinctually, but he has worked hard to fit into the team since moving from a much simpler system in Germany.
While many supporters wish for the explosive dribbling ability and pure pace of Ainsley Maitland-Niles to take over for Xhaka in the starting XI going forward, the second half showed why the former Borussia Monchengladbach captain is so important to Wenger’s team. It took the Gunners less than 2 minutes into the second half to score and widen the aggregate lead to 2 goals once again after his introduction, and Ostersunds never fully recovered their dangerous attack from the first half. With Xhaka now pulling the strings in the midfield, Arsenal were able recycle possession more efficiently, even while the team backed off of the throttle and defended their aggregate lead more conservatively as time bled off the clock. The Gunners still gave Ostersunds ample time on the ball, but the team was more balanced while defending, and Ospina was troubled less in the second 45 minutes.
Is it likely that a Granit Xhaka was solely responsible for the improved performance in the second half? No, probably not, but he receives bonus points for not being on the pitch for that embarrassing first half. His game is not flashy or predicated on speed, but Xhaka has one of the sweetest left feet around, and has shown an extraordinary amount of mental toughness this season in the face of relentless criticism from supporters. Xhaka will likely find himself starting at the heart of the Arsenal midfield in the League Cup final on Sunday, and based on the way his teammates played against Ostersunds, he (and Hector Bellerin, who is currently the only true right back in the squad) just might be the only one who deserves it.
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