Much closer than it needed to be. That will be the thought on many Arsenal supporters minds today after Arsenal’s lacklustre 1-0 home win last night against a scrappy Doncaster Rovers side. Currently struggling themselves in League One action, Doncaster nevertheless put in a respectable away performance at the Emirates Stadium, eventually frustrating their far more talented hosts into what appeared to be an even match by the end of 90 minutes. Though the Gunners side today was comprised largely of a mix of squad players and youth, manager Arsene Wenger has got to be less than pleased with the tight result.
Despite the close nature of the final scoreline, Arsenal looked very much like a team in the mood to open the match, with their pace and ball movement visibly putting the visitors off their guard. Almost scoring in the first 90 seconds of the match, Arsenal continued to hold the ball and press deep into attacking territory with the ball, with Theo Walcott finally breaking through for the Gunners in the 25th minute. It looked as though the floodgates would open, but Doncaster held strong at the back and did just enough to keep Arsenal from using their momentum to start piling on the goals. Despite not having roared out to a multi-goal lead, the hosts nevertheless looked like the dominant team of the first half.
Following a questionable change to open the half with Calum Chambers coming off for youngster Josh DaSilva, the Arsenal defence looked much less sturdy in the second half. Twice Ainsley Maitland-Niles was forced to use his impressive recovery speed to chase down a Doncaster forward on the break after a silly turnover between the midfield and defence. The continued second-half stalemate and some high-energy substitutions saw Doncaster become the more threatening side for a 5 minute period as the match dwindled, provoking a bit of an attacking response from the Gunners. The 1-0 victory put Arsenal through to the Round of 16 where they will face Norwich City on the weekend of October 24.
Consistently Inconsistent
On a day where Arsenal’s fellow top 6 rivals had little trouble dispatching of their third round minnows, the Gunners will undoubtedly be viewed as having missed an opportunity to put in a dominating performance to inject a little confidence in the squad player who may be fighting for a place in the Premier League starting XI, as well a little atmosphere into the tepid fans that have turned out recently to watch the Gunners play at home. It seems as though there is a general reluctance from many fans to wholeheartedly embrace this recent uptick in form after a devastating two weeks against Stoke City and Liverpool.
The fact remains that the team have not put together a full 90 minutes of quality football yet this season. The last two matches have seen the attack peter out in the second half, with the defence coming up big in both matches to salvage the result. Though many will assume that the attack will be fine given the talent Wenger has at his disposal, a prolonged stretch in which the goals don’t flow could spell disaster for a team not known for its defensive stability.
Another Clean Sheet
Ever since the embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Liverpool on August 27, Arsenal have refocused their efforts in defence, going back to the fundamentals of their 3-4-2-1 formation. The wing-backs have been in much better position to defend in transition, and as a result, the Gunners have started to contain those killer balls through the channels that caused so many problems at the back, particularly against Leicester and Liverpool. Giving the starting XI the night off, Wenger slotted Per Mertesacker into the centre of the Gunner defence with Rob Holding getting the start on his left and Calum Chambers making his season debut to his right. The trio had little trouble in the first half quelling the danger after a quick chance on goal in the opening minute may have caught them napping.
The second half substitution of Chambers for the young Josh DaSilva did see an uptick in drama at the back, though this was also due to Doncaster’s improved tenacity as the match progressed. Arsene Wenger will be thrilled to see his backup goalkeeper have a relatively clean evening, with very few Doncaster opportunities getting through the defence for an easy opportunity. Assistant Manager Steve Bould must have been a busy man these last few weeks whipping his disjointed defence into shape after their early season humiliations, and the work of the players and coaching staff has paid off in the results on the pitch. This is a trend that every Arsenal fan will pray continues for the rest of the season and beyond.
Jack Goes 90 Minutes
8 years ago, as Jack Wilshere was just starting to sniff around the first team, it would have been inconceivable for most Arsenal supporters to imagine the team in 2017 without the local wunderkind as a vitally important member of the squad. Fast forward to present day, and the sad reality is much more humble. Seeing Jack complete 90 minutes in an Arsenal shirt has been something of a rarity over the last 3 years, but he finally got his first opportunity to do so this season on Wednesday. The England international did not disappoint, hitting the vast majority of his passes on target, and nearly getting a gorgeous assist on a cheeky chipped pass to Olivier Giroud, who nearly smashed the overhead kick home for the score.
Wilshere showed glimpses of his former self, shielding the ball effectively with his body, keeping his feet moving and making several heady passes that could have resulted in even more scoring chances had the rest of the Arsenal team bit more clinical. Despite his legs being ravaged by injuries through the years, watching Wilshere receive a pass and turn upfield with it in one fluid motion is still an absolute thing of beauty. For some, Wilshere was the man of the match particularly for the control he exerted on the match at times from the centre of the park. Time will tell whether or not Wilshere will be able to force his way into contention for a Premier League starting berth with Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka, but a few more sharp performances like the one on Wednesday could see Wenger left with little choice but to give him a go.
Youthful Opportunity
Ever since Arsene Wenger has been in charge at Arsenal, the League Cup (or the Carabao Cup as we sadly must call it) has always been the place for squad fringe players and promising youngsters to come together in their bid for regular first-team football. On Wednesday, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, and Josh Dasilva were all given time in the pitch to impress, joining peripheral first teamers Rob Holding and Calum Chambers in the lineup against Doncaster. Nelson, the preseason star and u23s hottest scorer, played a much simpler game than might have been expected of him from his flashy displays in the summer, but he performed well enough in a wing-back role. Mainland-Niles was perhaps the most impressive youngster to play on Thursday night, twice using his pace to break up 1 on 1 opportunities after defensive lapses.
Calum Chambers, who cannot seem to buy time in Arsene Wenger’s good graces since returning from Middlesbrough, was also impressive despite not seeing any action so far this season. He was solid and sure-footed on the right side of the Gunner defence, and on a few occasions flashed his ball handling and passing ability. He may not be as active as Rob Holding on his respective side of the defence, but he looked far too comfortable out there to not start getting a look from Wenger in some more meaningful matches. Arsenal have two of the best defenders in the current England set-up, so it would be a shame to lose one of them due to a lack of opportunity with the club. With Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal and Laurent Koscielny all on the wrong side of 30, the time is now for the club to begin to give their “other” talented young English defender a look in the team.
The (Partial) Return of Wengerball
You saw it in the first match of the season against Leicester and again at various points in every match since: Arsenal are once again trying to get the Wengerball working at the Emirates. Long a stylish hallmark of a Wenger coached side brimming with confidence, that rapid fire, one-touch combination play at the edge of the box has resulted in some of the most beautiful goals ever scored in the history of the Premier League. When it works, few teams can stop its fluidity and precision. You can even see it in the youngsters’ games when they play, as it is simply a part of the Arsenal DNA in goalscoring situations.
For a club that loves to get on the ball and pass it into dangerous areas, the quick 1-2s on the edge of the box are a great way to convert possession into opportunity when the defence squeezes the space away from the attack. Perhaps most encouraging of all is new signing Alexandre Lacazette’s willingness to participate in those combinations so soon into his Arsenal career. It is certainly a different sort of approach than he would have encountered at Olympique Lyonnais, and while he is still a ways away from becoming fluent in the Arsenal attack, the early returns are promising.
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