Theo Walcott. His improvement is evident this season. He was running up and down the right hand side 90 minutes, tracking back, pressing Chelsea high up the pitch, running behind, looking for his team mates in the box. Basically, becoming a player nobody thought he could ever be. His potential wasn't even about these stuff. This is a new player in the body of a guy who's been here for 10 years now. Absolutely fantastic from him
Post Match Q&A
Nottingham Forest (a) “It’s refreshing to see us have a different type of striker” – Q&A
I was actually really excited to see that he rotated well this game. I thought the inclusion of Perez was a good way to get him introduced and up to speed but I'd have rather seen him playing up front to get a better feel for what (I hope) is his position moving forward at Arsenal. I'm not sure that even that goal near the end could convince me that the Ox deserves a start in anything but ELC. If AW doesn't start Xhaxa next EPL game though
Hull City (a) “Coquelin played the perfect game, he ticked and kicked!” – Q&A
While I was disappointed at xhaka not starting, I was absolutely annoyed at this Alexis striker bit. If Perez isn't fit to start, I'd rather the guy who has been calling himself a striker be played up top and Alexis out wide instead of vice versa. Alexis drops to midfield way too much often leaving the striker role vacant. As for midfield, I'm a fan of coq/cazorla partnership but will really like to see xhaka get more game time. So I would have put Alexis wide left, theo Center and iwobi right. Perhaps rested santi and brought in xhaka.
Watford (a) “We can be devastatingly dangerous with our best available” – Q&A
It felt like the difference was tempo and speed. Cazorla for all his wonder maybe just doesn't quite have it in to playing the 10 anymore. But putting him next to Xhaka and letting Ozil do his beautiful work just frees things up completely. And Theo was surprisingly all over. I saw some on Twitter make the comment about how we would have had even more goals with a serious winger in Ox's place. Seems pretty spot on. #WelcomeLucas
Leicester City (a) “Koscielny had Jamie Vardy in his pocket all day long” – Q&A
I thought a draw was a fair reflection on the game. Both sides had chances and we were lucky to get away with the second Leicester penalty appeal. On another day, that would have been rightly given. I think the game showed again that we're pretty limited when it comes to creating chances, and even more limited when taking them. We appear to lack penetration through the middle and the wide areas aren't fruitful either at the best of times. Our fullbacks have not started the season well, but then again, not many of the team is covering themselves in glory right now
Liverpool (h) “This felt like a disaster purely of our own making” – Q&A
No I was not I thought it was very poor starting a kid who he didn’t even trust to play ahead of Flamini last season and a kid who hadn’t played a minute in the Premier League. Also playing Coquelin ahead of Xhaka was disrespectful not just to the fans but the team who had already had to endure our season crumble with Ramsey and Coquelin and in the side this year. It made no sense at all but it seems Wenger has an inability to play new signings till the damage is already done so this isn’t a new thing. The rest of the team I agreed with but Ramsey let down the team big time, he needs to take his chance quickly before Cazorla and Özil push him out the team but I pray it has more down
AFC Bournemouth (h) “Anyone can score with Özil on the pitch” – Q&A
Not that they were particularly bad, but Theo and Per didn't have the best of games. Slapstick miss of an open goal from Per, plus a few misplaced passes especially early in the first half, when we looked a bit shaken and lacking of confidence. Theo was offside for his entertaining moment, but still he should've done better on that and another couple of chances he had. With just 40 touches of the ball and 18 attempted passes, he was under-involved today, especially when you compare him to Mesut or even Oxlade-Chamberlain
Aston Villa (a) “His tackling was spot on and always a threat to score” – Q&A
But if forced I must give it to Aaron Ramsey mostly because of his energy and effectiveness in carrying out the game plan. His tackling was spot on and always a threat to score on the counter.This was best exemplified by second goal, starting the move by dispossessing a Villa player and sprinting into the the Villa box to convert the cutback by Ozil. I would like to give a big shout-out to the ever improving Joel Campbell. He gave almost everything especially in the first half by pressing the Villa attackers on their left side and dropping back to help Bellerin. It made a hell of a difference in making Villa look toothless.
Dinamo Zagreb (h) – “Özil’s chemistry with Alexis is improving drastically” – Q&A
Well obviously Ozil, Alexis, and Cazorla each played better individually but the team defended tremendously well once they got ahead. It seemed like they were dropping off to contain much more than stepping up and trying to keep a high line or trap and that left very little in behind. But the best defense is attack, and going forward with speed I thought the wing play was much more creatively explosive and caused a lot of problems.
Swansea City (a) “Özil’s form makes Arsenal the league’s form side” – Q&A
I’d have gone with Campbell, yes. A player who performed as well as he did at the World Cup doesn’t become useless overnight, despite not playing regularly. He’s a naturally front-footed player, pacey and willing. As with many of the more notable Central and South American players, he has an energy and hunger to his game that others often lack. Reshuffling the entire side, particularly that already thin midfield pack, would’ve unbalanced things horribly