Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been threatening for a starting berth ever since he made his debut against Man Utd in August. Investment in his youth and prevention of early injuries has perhaps stopped Arsene Wenger from starting him in recent games, but Wenger's faith in the player is unquestionable now after putting him in the starting XI for the reverse fixture that saw him make his debut as a substitute. What a game to make your first start in the Premier League, and it just serves as a testament to how far the 18 year old has come since last year.
It was refreshing to see Chamberlain start the game, because as predicted, he added a vital mixture of energy and passion to an Arsenal setup that has been lacking in tenacity and ambition in recent times. He looked like he wanted to win the game, which I believe to be a more than suitable attitude in the Premier League today. Spurs showed on the same day, that even if you're 2-0 down at the Etihad stadium, if you show a bit of bite and alacrity, anything can happen. They could have and perhaps should have gone on to win that game.
Chamberlain could easily have felt the pressure to perform against Man Utd. You will always be a manager's gamble if you make your first start against the champions, yet it seemed the pressure switched to Walcott. Chamberlain continuously forced himself into the game, by working on his defence, and cutting off the wing and into the middle, leaving Rafael de Silva at odds and ends as to what to do. Walcott, who has bounced in and out of form this season, had a quiet game, and one couldn't help but negatively compare him to Chamberlain.
With Arsenal 1-0 down into the final quarter of the game, it was again 'The Ox' who looked the most likely to change the game (not to ignore the efforts of Tomas Rosicky, who showed his worth in this game amid transfer speculations), and he did exactly that, cutting off the wing, playing through the centre and setting up van Persie for an inch-perfect finish. Game on, and the pressure was on Man Utd. The fans were ecstatic, and a frantic Man Utd tried to re-organize as Arsenal pressed for a second goal. But the game suddenly changed in bizzare fashion considering the situation of the game.
After 74 minutes, Arsene Wenger brings Chamberlain off for Andrei Arshavin. At this moment, the atmosphere around the stadium was haunting. The Arsenal contingent can be forgiven for their insatiability, as the boos rung around Emirates Stadium. The one individual who looked hungry to win this game, the one player who looked unphased by the pressure of Man Utd, was brought off, and the expression on Robin van Persie's face when the substitute was made was equally priceless.
What happened six minutes later matched the script of such a tactical decision by Arsene Wenger. Arshavin gets easily turned by Antonio Valencia on the right wing, and sets up Danny Welbeck with crafty composure to bang in the second goal. A bewildered and sluggish Arsenal were hopeless to draw level again. A youthful investment that needs to be protected or not, Chamberlain was the star player in the team yesterday.
What I believe to be equally strange was Wenger's defending of his decision to bring on Arshavin. He claimed that an 18 year old kid being replaced by the captain of the Russian national team shouldn't be queried. Perhaps he was reading a fact sheet instead of watching the game, because the way Chamberlain approached the game against Man Utd was exactly what Arsenal need right now, if they are to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
Do you think Wenger was right to take off Chamberlain? Was there too much attention on Arshavin after being dribbled past Valencia? Do you think the substitution changed the game? Express your views by leaving a comment.
It was refreshing to see Chamberlain start the game, because as predicted, he added a vital mixture of energy and passion to an Arsenal setup that has been lacking in tenacity and ambition in recent times. He looked like he wanted to win the game, which I believe to be a more than suitable attitude in the Premier League today. Spurs showed on the same day, that even if you're 2-0 down at the Etihad stadium, if you show a bit of bite and alacrity, anything can happen. They could have and perhaps should have gone on to win that game.
Chamberlain could easily have felt the pressure to perform against Man Utd. You will always be a manager's gamble if you make your first start against the champions, yet it seemed the pressure switched to Walcott. Chamberlain continuously forced himself into the game, by working on his defence, and cutting off the wing and into the middle, leaving Rafael de Silva at odds and ends as to what to do. Walcott, who has bounced in and out of form this season, had a quiet game, and one couldn't help but negatively compare him to Chamberlain.
With Arsenal 1-0 down into the final quarter of the game, it was again 'The Ox' who looked the most likely to change the game (not to ignore the efforts of Tomas Rosicky, who showed his worth in this game amid transfer speculations), and he did exactly that, cutting off the wing, playing through the centre and setting up van Persie for an inch-perfect finish. Game on, and the pressure was on Man Utd. The fans were ecstatic, and a frantic Man Utd tried to re-organize as Arsenal pressed for a second goal. But the game suddenly changed in bizzare fashion considering the situation of the game.
After 74 minutes, Arsene Wenger brings Chamberlain off for Andrei Arshavin. At this moment, the atmosphere around the stadium was haunting. The Arsenal contingent can be forgiven for their insatiability, as the boos rung around Emirates Stadium. The one individual who looked hungry to win this game, the one player who looked unphased by the pressure of Man Utd, was brought off, and the expression on Robin van Persie's face when the substitute was made was equally priceless.
What happened six minutes later matched the script of such a tactical decision by Arsene Wenger. Arshavin gets easily turned by Antonio Valencia on the right wing, and sets up Danny Welbeck with crafty composure to bang in the second goal. A bewildered and sluggish Arsenal were hopeless to draw level again. A youthful investment that needs to be protected or not, Chamberlain was the star player in the team yesterday.
What I believe to be equally strange was Wenger's defending of his decision to bring on Arshavin. He claimed that an 18 year old kid being replaced by the captain of the Russian national team shouldn't be queried. Perhaps he was reading a fact sheet instead of watching the game, because the way Chamberlain approached the game against Man Utd was exactly what Arsenal need right now, if they are to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
Do you think Wenger was right to take off Chamberlain? Was there too much attention on Arshavin after being dribbled past Valencia? Do you think the substitution changed the game? Express your views by leaving a comment.
The ox should have stayed on the pitch. It wasn't fair on him and it sent him the message that even when he plays with all his heart and passion he will get substituted because of his age and experience. It also wasn't fair on Arshavin as he had to endure all the boos from the crowd. I know many believe that footballers get used to crowd reactions and just ignore it and get on with the game, but the mistake by Arshavin clearly shows it got to him somehow. I think that too much attention has been given to Arshavin being dribbled by Valencia as it is possible that the Ox could well have endured the same punishment. One can't say in football that if a certain player had been on the field that certain things would have happened differently. The game is simply not that predictable. I do however feel that the substitution did have a significant impact on the game as it changed the attacking pace of Arsenal and changed the attitute of the fans
ReplyDeleteI think there was too much attention on arshavin, because it was more the surprise of taking chamberlain off than bringing arshavin off that got to the fans. But then again arshavin has been terribly out of form, and has not contributed enough to arsenal for quite some time now. His defensive error then was perhaps more the a frustration more because of his own form than the fact that he was brought on for chamberlain. As youve said, the substitution changed the attacking pace of the game..iits a shame that the Russian captain couldn't keep the shape of the team going.
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