It was a frustrating north London derby for Arsenal in many ways, but it could have been much worse, especially after Tottenham took the lead against the run of play. The visitors certainly put up a sterling effort to stop us from scoring, so finding a leveller took a great deal of desire and determination.
But it also took a fair bit of attacking flair and the man who scored the goal for Arsenal, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, reckons that the game shows that Arsenal are really starting to find some form. He told Arsenal.com that he thought there were plenty of positives to take from the game, especially the way that Arsenal moved the ball and dominated the visitors. The Gunners made some good use of our 69 percent possession as well, creating nine chances and having 16 shots, although many were blocked by the stalwart Spurs defence.
The Ox explained that Arsenal’s passing and intricate style of play does not come easily and has not really beens seen enough so far this season, but he says that yesterday’s game is proof that it is almost there, although he admitted that there is still more to9 come for us to be at our best.
Chamberlain said, “I don’t think [we’ve been at our best yet]. We’ve been hard to beat at times, which is good, and we have shown that never-give-up attitude – especially earlier in the season when we nicked a late winner against Crystal Palace and came back to draw at Everton.
“That’s good, as is the fact that we haven’t lost yet in the league. Last week against Aston Villa we went 3-0 up in quick fashion and then killed the game really well. After that we were a bit more relaxed and played more fluently – we were a bit more like ourselves, so I think it is coming together again.
“Sometimes it can a take a few games to start playing the way we like to play, and it is easier said than done. But the important thing is that we haven’t been losing and I am sure that the attacking fluency will come back and we will come good.
“Lots of the squad came back at different times and we obviously had the three German boys who were World Cup winners and only came back on August 11. So for them it must have been quite hard to get settled so late in pre-season.
“It is tough fitness-wise when you’ve had three or four weeks off and come back in when your team-mates and everyone else in the Premier League is at full fitness and you have to catch up really quickly. They have done really well to have bedded in and contributed as much as they have considering they came back so late.
“One of the good things with the way the squad is now is that there is so much quality in numbers that the boss can pick from boys who are fresher than others at times, so that helps as well. That is going to important for the rest of the season as the games come thick and fast.”
With Arteta, Ramsey and possibly Wilshere and Diaby out of action for the Champions League tie with Galatasaray on Wednesday, that squad depth is going to be tested, but if the Ox can repeat his Man of the Match heroics against the Turks then the Gunners have a great chance of winning and taking another step towards being in full flow. What do you think Gooners?
OX should play left wing for us instead of Ozil, Wilshere, or Cazorla.
Sanchez and Ox are far more effective on the flanks than Walcot, they are both better with the ball at their feet. I would luv to see Theo in the middle with Ox and Sanchez on either of his sides.
you dumb or what??? WTF are you saying. do you watch football at all???
@georgegooner
He’s right though. Theo might be quick. But thats about it. His work rate is nowhere near that of either Sanchez or Ox. He ain’t much on defending either…
Eggzactly
Aren’t we forgetting a small matter here – “Theo might be quick. But thats about it”. Really??! A comment on the relative goalscoring ability of Theo and Ox might present a more balanced overview. TH14 is way, way ahead of AOC in this not unimportant respect.
I don’t know what you basing that on but the fact is when Theo is running down that flank, he gets more assists, more goals than Ox , so in terms of assists and and goals, I say Theo is more effective than Ox
i thnk he has al the attributes to be a gud winger,,he has pace,stamina,can drible,cros and score,am api 4 hm
Click? Yes somewhat but we are not clicking on all cylinders! Wenger needs to play ozil in his proper position behind welbeck and not out wide! Coyg!
We have got to get our act together when we face chelsea next sunday! We have got to dig deep and play with “gunner pride” to get a vital win against them! I know it wouldnt be a cake walk, but we must dig deep and man up to chelsea and not role over and play dead like last season’s hurtful loss to them at the bridge! Come on gunners lets prove our critics wrong dig deep and get a priceless win! Coyg!
@Greg
EXACTLY…
Our passing was slick yesterday but we really need to be more ruthless. No one really tries to have a go from outside the area even though we have players capable of long range shooting (Cazorla, Ox, Arteta).
Put Ozil in central role and Ox on the wing until Walcott comes back.
We are losing points because Ozil is on the left.
I am asking all the AKBs out there, and this is a genuine question. Why is Ozil starting on the left? Why is Sanchez starting on the bench? What is the logic behind playing our best CAM out of position and the best player Arsenal has had in a while on the bench in an extremely important North London derby.
I would like to think that there was a reason for this lunacy beyond just being stubborn and doing exactly the opposite of what everyone has been screaming at him.
I would really like to understand from the disciples of Le Prof. what the great man, the footballing genius was thinking. And once you have given a perfectly plausible answer to that would you please mind enlightening me to the lack of transfer activity for defenders this window.
And please refrain from using logic like Sanchez had played against Southampton (he really should not have played then should he, if he was going to miss the derby?) and there were no defenders available ( we really should not have sold Vermaelen, without finding a replacement should we?)
So no Wenger type answers thinking everyone else is stupid please.
Over to you…
@Jimbeam
Here’s the obvious answer. Ask AW…
but I thought you guys had a special understanding of his decisions, there was always a reason for the things he did, i just want to know what the believers think
Jim Beam, I’m not an ‘AKB’ due to having a deferring opinion. Now you’re just resorting to bigotry. Ozil has played on the flanks and drifted in for most of his career and Cazorla has played on the left for 10 years. We have exactly the same number of defenders as last year and Chambers seems to have replaced Vermaelen. Saying that there is a lack of transfer activity furthers my point as we have spent 110 million net last season as well as signing 2 defenders and promoting 1. Please stop this bigotry and accept that people have other opinions.
Well said arsenalman. Frankly the false dichotomy that folks here set up — you either hate Wenger or worship him — is wearing more than a bit thin.
You’re more foolish than the Word FOOLISH!
Bigotry means that I hate a group of people and don’t listen to what they have to say, I am simply asking a question. To which you answered with two lies and one no answer.
1) Ozil Has not played his career drifting in from the wings to the center. He played 90% of his games for Werder and Madrid as a Cam. So your first response is a direct lie.
2) No we do not have as many defenders as last year. Sagna, Jenkinson and Vermaelen gone. Chambers and Debuchy in so count with me 3 out 2 in. So once again you are either lying or don’t know how to count. Either way pretty idiotic.
3) Why don’t we start with Sanchez?
And to Trudeau, yes I think Wenger is done he has nothing left to offer this team, his player choices, his tactics, his motivation is way behind what Arsenal needs to compete. So it is note hate or worship it’s simple is he the right man or not.
@Jimbeam
I don’t deal in “speculation”dude…
I hope wenger starts alexis sanchez against chelsea and not make the same blunder,as he did against spurs!
To me its quite simple. We play better without Wilshere.
Wenger is on a mission to include Wilshere outside of his b2b spot and that is killing us.
With Ramsey injured, Wilshere will drop into his role in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but will be with Flamini instead of Arteta. This also means Özil in the middle.
With our current squad, assuming everyone is fit, I think our best formation is a GK and back four, obviously, a holding midfielder (Arteta is the best we have at the moment), a box to box midfielder (Ramsey/Wilshere), an attacking midfielder (Özil, maybe Cazorla), two pacey wingers (Walcott and Alexis) and a striker (Giroud).
Why Giroud over Welbeck? Neither of them can finish, but Giroud can hold the ball up well. With pacey wingers to the side of him, he will be more of an asset. Welbeck offers more pace, but with Walcott and Alexis, we have an abundance already. Giroud also offers more of a threat at set pieces and can defend them well too. I think Giroud would improve the balance of the team more than Welbeck. At the moment we are just passing the ball around the box unable to create a chance – a big CF like Giroud gives us more of a ‘target man’ who can physically compete with defenders that are sitting deep and is more of a threat on crosses.
Giroud isn’t clinical but a good finisher. There’s a difference between clinical and being a bad finisher. Giroud could round a keeper and miss then score a screamer while Welbeck is consistent with his misses.
So far this season we’ve had:
Giroud out – 4 months – Broken ankle
Debuchy out – 3 months – Damaged ankle
Diaby out – 3 weeks – Thigh strain
Koscielny out – on & off – Achilles injury
Arteta out – 3 weeks – Damaged ankle
Gibbs out – 4 weeks – Hamstring strain
Monreal out – Unknown – Unknown
Sanogo out – 2 weeks – Hamstring strain
Ramsey out – Unknown – Hamstring strain
Ospina out – 2 months – Thigh injury
Walcott – Still out – Knee Ligaments
The season started just 6 weeks ago. We’ll be without a team by November at this rate. This is ridiculous and needs to be sorted. Immediately. What other club has had injury problems on this scale?
I thought we just signed a new ‘fitness guru’ in the summer? Isn’t it his job to stop things like hamstring strains occurring?
Girouds was non preventable and a ball was knocked at an akward angle, Debuchy the same from an akward landing, Diaby was injured ages ago, Koscielny had achilles problems last year (I’ve had em nasty and hard to prevent), Walcott was again injured ages ago, Ospina is fit and on thr bench after a world cuo injury, Gibbs is injury prone , Ramsey had an akward fall and movement and Arteta had an akward fall. They were mainly contact and I put it down to bad luck.
People say we have poor squad depth but to put a team like this out without dipping into our under 21s is impressive. Fun fact Diego Costa is older than the bible and his hamstrings are actually cheesestrings! #Koscielny’s pocket.
And if Kos gets injured….this season is Kaput! The best and the most confident Arsenal player by far..
We xo hVe Chambers though.
I hope we set up not to lose against Chelsea, we simply cannot afford to be naive in these games. Chelsea will come straight at us and if they get an early goal our heads will go down and they will have a field day. We need big characters on the pitch, I would love to see Flamini and Diaby at the base of our midfield with Alexis and the Ox on the wings and Ozil in the middle with Welbeck up top. Everyone in this team works hard (bar Ozil) but there is also enough quality and pace to hit them on the counter effectively. Lets face it Chelsea have the strongest squad in the league and already it’s theirs to lose, I would be absolutely delighted with a draw and hopefully Wenger see’s this and plays not to lose because if it is end-to-end all game they will win.
Eggzactly