In today's Arsenal Vision Post Match Podcast: Arsenal return to Premier League action with another 3-0 victory, this time against a stubborn Watford team. Paul (@PoznanInMyPants) and James (@GoonerFanatic49) talk Coquelin, Ramsey, Monreal, Bellerin and more
We took quite some time to get our engines running, and the opening exchanges were not as fluent as I am accustomed to see. We can certainly attribute the slowness of our start to the fact that most of our players played against Bayern on Tuesday, however the soggy pitch slowing our play down didn't help matters. Both our goals came from aerial balls at a period where we were unable to make much headway as the ball kept getting stuck on the pitch.
In the second half we gave a polished performance with more zip, and while Everton had many opportunities with the ball, I felt we were in the driving seat all game long
Everton had been strong on the break this season and it was a counter attack that presented the visitors with the equaliser. Oxlade-Chamberlain's shot was blocked just outside the Everton box. Deulofeu burst forward and found Barkley in space, it looked as if Gabriel and Ox had him covered until he wriggled past Ox and hit a left footed shot which deflected off the boot of the Brazilian and wrong footed Cech in the Arsenal goal. It was from a similar range to where
Oliver Giroud's impact off the bench on Tuesday night has given him a surprise start this afternoon as Theo Walcott has dropped down to the bench. Per Mertesacker is also absent through illness (again) so Gabriel who has just returned himself will partner Koscielny in defence. As expected Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces the injured Aaron Ramsey on the right.
Tom Cleverley. I was hugely skeptical of the signing because I was never impressed by him at Man United but the way he played against us for Aston Villa last season was impressive. He does so much well, he keeps the ball and can link the play to a high standard. Huge bargain to get him on a free
But just like it was ridiculously premature to write Arsenal off from having a successful season after only a couple of hours into the new campaign, it would be equally insane to get complacent after a good run of form as we are barely approaching the quarter mark in a long marathon. There will be plenty of tests ahead of us that we will need to overcome before we know our fate. One of those tests will be to shake off a physically grueling match in midweek to go again only a few days later, against a side who will be fresh and desperate for Premier League points
MotM has to go to Petr Cech. Before 10 minutes had gone, he had already made a superb save on Thiago after a great one-two with Thomas Muller. We go 1-0 down on 9 minutes and it’s game over. Another decent save on Vidal later in the half to go into half time at 0-0; always a chance in the second half. Notice how Cech always parries his saves out of the penalty area, towards the corner, not straight back into danger. This was crucial today. A third brilliant save on Lewandowski at 75 minutes proved to be vital as we went the other way to score 2 minutes later
In today's Arsenal Vision Post Match Podcast: Arsenal return to Premier League action with another 3-0 victory, this time against a stubborn Watford team. Paul (@PoznanInMyPants) and James (@GoonerFanatic49) talk Coquelin, Ramsey, Monreal, Bellerin and more
I need to watch it again to work out exactly when this happened but about half way through the half until half time we cut Bayern in ribbons on the break with great passing between the lines from Cazorla and the speed of Alexis and Walcott. We really had the chance to Manchester United them the way we did the red devils only a few weeks ago but a combination of Manuel Neuer and powder puff Theo Walcott finishing meant we could not get the needed goals. That Theo header? Not his strength but you gotta be putting that away fella, hopefully some work on the training ground and a few Ian Wright videos (do they still do videos?) and he will get there.
Arsène Wenger has kept faith with the 11 that beat Watford 3-0 only a few days ago. The only real questions pre match was whether Giroud or the returning Gabriel would come in but Arsène resisted to start with either