Arsenal kicking off with a win is crucial to their campaign by SE
It was always going to be a tough job for the Gunners, even though they were at home to last season’s 11th-placed team in the Barclays Premier League. Arsenal were dragged, and very nearly robbed of 2 points from a Crystal Palace side that was determined and hardly showed any distraction with what had transpired a couple of nights before. They were defensively organized, harnessed a set-piece situation to go ahead, albeit for a brief period, and very nearly came away from the Emirates with a point. It is for the threat that Palace provided Arsenal that Wenger’s men managing to pick up the full quota of points was indispensable to their season’s ambitions and progress.
Let’s face it: No team has had it easy in the opening weekend of the Premier League, and albeit there is no room for soft comparison between the result of Arsenal’s and others’, there’s always the suggestion that a hard-fought win has its own place in the cupboard. As they so often say, “Arsenal showed championship qualities when they snatched three points from the jaws of a certain draw”.
I think that it’s the kind of win that will make Arsenal better. They can build on it, and workout key areas where they need to tighten up on. The only huge concern for Wenger will be that of his strikers, Giroud and Sanogo, whose striking qualities continue to get questioned; but beyond that, the Arsenal machine looks well-oiled and poised to work smoothly over the coming weekends.
Ramsey, as expected, played a significant part in Arsenal managing to pick up all possible three points, but it’s up to the other players to step up to the plate and alleviate whatever pressure there is on the Welshman to be ‘the man’ for Arsenal. Certainly, Ozil and Mertesacker, when they
come in will give Arsenal further strength and depth, but it’s up to the entire squad to give in their share of performances week in and week out.
Overall, it was a job very well done by Wenger’s wizards, and Arsenal get their big season of ambitions up and running in the right direction.