What do you associate with Arsenal sides from 2006-2012? Frenchmen, a possession-endorsed philosophy, Tomáš Rosický and an unreliable defensive unit would probably feature throughout the answers of many Premier League enthusiasts, if posed the question. 2013, however, has proven contrary to such beliefs as one of the four no longer exists at Emirates Stadium.
There are still Frenchmen at the club, Arsène Wenger continues to institutionalise his fluent style into the squad and Tomáš Rosický is still a member of the first team. What has disappeared, particularly this season, is the calamitous back-line, often thought of as the Kryptonite to the Gunners’ ultimately unsuccessful pursuit for silverware.
Predominately composing of Bacary Sagna, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Kieran Gibbs, in front of the much improved Wojciech Szczęsny, the defence has looked immovable against the likes of Luis Suárez, Daniel Sturridge, Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus, playing an indispensable part in Arsenal’s remarkable start to the campaign. Conceding seventeen goals in fifteen games, one of the league’s best, and keeping six domestic clean sheets have gone a long way in earning a newfound reputation as one of the most defensively sound teams in not only England, but also Europe, where the North London outfit have continued in this vain by conceding the least amount of goals in Group F and by keeping the most amount of clean-sheets. Widespread solidarity at the back is not exactly the norm at the club, not since the days in which Highbury could be called home, so the hysteria created as a result of the seemingly endless supply of reputable performances is somewhat unfamiliar.
Nonetheless, it deserves the acknowledgment it’s currently receiving and all signs suggest that this isn’t a freak phrase of unsustainable security, so, without further ado, let’s get accustomed with the almost Fort Knox-like unit.
Comparing the Wojciech Szczęsny of March 2013 to the Wojciech Szczęsny of December 2013 makes for quite remarkable viewing. Dropped by Arsène Wenger after a series of erratic showings between the sticks, the Polish international was dropped, much to his surprise. Now, both the player and supporters agree that the boss’ decision was not only correct, but also worthy of applause, as it has sparked the resurrection of one of the most promising ‘keepers in the world. After missing the best part of a month whilst on the bench, Szczęsny worked on improving his sharpness and demonstrated his newfound focus in his first two games back, keeping consecutive clean sheets against Everton and Fulham. Entering the first Premier League game of the season as the side’s number one, but finishing it with serious doubts over his foreseeable future, the disastrous 3-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa left certain fans demanding reinforcement, yet was merely another lesson for the still young shot-stopper. Drastic development since has pushed that match further and further back into the minds of all devastated, however most importantly, maintained the teaching for Wojciech to enhance his game further.
Decision-making is a refined element to the ex-Brentford loanee’s game and one that has saved Arsenal’s bacon, so to speak, on occasions during this campaign. November’s 2-0 win over Liverpool demonstrated his growth in this department, as Szczęsny dashed off of his line to smother Philippe Coutinho and, later, Daniel Sturridge, reaping the rewards of taking potentially catastrophic risks to sustain the clean sheet, stark contrast to the first game of the season in which he hauled down Gabriel Agbonlahor for an Aston Villa penalty. Aerially, the 23-year-old has advanced since the beginning of the year, boasting prowess when faced with crosses and corner deliveries. Be it in-swinging or out-swinging, he finds means of eradicating the danger within the eighteen-yard-box, using 6’5″ frame very effectively; in the Premier League, Szczęsny has a claim success rate of 97%. Disregarding the occasional wonder strike, it’s difficult to fault Wojciech’s saving ability and when coupled with his incredible reflexes, opposing players have to pull off the extraordinary to beat the Pole and in fact, with 49, he’s made more saves than Hugo Lloris, David de Gea and Petr Čech domestically.
It’s been claimed that Szczęsny is one of the best ‘keepers in England and his performance in October’s match against Crystal Palace backs up this argument. Awarded the ‘Man of the Match’ award, for good reason, Wojciech made two inconceivable saves to deny both Joel Ward and Mile Jedinak from hitting the back of the net, inspiring the outfield players to go on and win the game with his heroics.
“Szczęsny matured through disappointments like we all do. Every big player has to go through that in his career. I was always convinced he would make it. People forget that, at 23 years old, he is like being 18 for an outfield player. He has played two Premier League seasons, one where we finished third and last year where we made 73 points and finished fourth. You would think he can only go up.” – Arsène Wenger
From Pat Rice and Bob McNab to Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn, Arsenal have been blessed with talented pairs of full-backs for decades and 2013 has proven to be no exception, with Bacary Sagna and a consistently fit Kieran Gibbs lining up on the right and left side of defence. Equally as useful in either half, Sagna and Gibbs have compensated for the lack of width further up the field through bombing down the flanks and delivering the most delinquent of crosses, whilst also supplementing general phases of possession in the opposition’s territory. This has given Wenger the license to start inverted midfielders – Santi Cazorla, Tomáš Rosický, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey – on either wing as the channels’ supply for Olivier Giroud and co. doesn’t deteriorate thanks to both featuring in the attacking third omnipresently.
Thought of as the internal replacement for Ashley Cole, who left for Chelsea in 2006, it’s taken longer than anticipated for Kieran Gibbs to reach his potential at the Emirates. Recently, however, many have claimed that the the 24-year-old is more worthy of a place in Roy Hodgson’s World Cup squad than his predecessor, citing that Cole is past his peak and that Gibbs is entering his, respectively. Stats reflect this belief, with Gibbs making twenty one more interceptions, forty one more clearances, twelve more tackles and also boasting a higher percentage of successful take-ons, beating Cole 42%-18%, in the Premier League. It’s been an impressive season for the former Norwich City loanee, in which he has received rave reviews for the performances he’s made, but if his plague of injuries that have riddled his career up to this point return, a sufficient back-up is lying in the wings: Nacho Monreal. Likely to go to Brazil with the Spanish national team, the ex-Málaga man has taken a sporadic role since swapping the Costa Del Sol for North London, but has deputised to an acceptable standard in Gibbs’ occasional absence due to fatigue/injury and having a back-up of his ability could prove dividends in the long run. Also an alternative further up the field, Monreal’s duties within the side cannot be understated.
As far as consistent figures go, Bacary Sagna is up there with the very best in Europe and has been over the past six years, so it’s not a surprise that many sides across the continent are queuing up for his signature with his current contact expiring in the summer. Arsenal, however, are desperate to keep hold of their prize asset and it’s been reported that a deal is expected to be agreed within the new year. What’s so attractive about the 30-year-old? Lung-busting runs down the right flank, an impressive repertoire of crosses and, most importantly from Arsenal’s point of view, leadership. Joining in 2007, the ex-Auxerre defender has played under many captains, varying from Cesc Fàbregas to William Gallas to Robin van Persie to Thomas Vermaelen, yet, whilst these skippers moved onto pastures new or fallen out of favour with the manager, Bacary remained, despite the lack of success. Now, with the team headed towards some long awaited silverware, the likes of Sagna are needed now more than ever and it’s essential that Wenger keeps hold of him in order to reach the top.
Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny: different in many respects, however similar in other areas – Arsenal finally have a partnership at the back to reflect their their prowess further up the field, suffering from incompetent, and calamitous, centre-backs throughout their barren run of no trophies. That was the past, but the now is certainly the time for supporters to embrace a defensive combination that doesn’t involve someone best described as ‘dodgy’. Yes, Johan Djourou, I’m looking at you. Mertesacker and Koscielny are, individually, terrific, yet together, as a collaborative, are world-class and it’s the way in which they compliment each other that has given the Gunners quality at the back that has been missing for quite some time.
Pace is something that Per lacks, but Laurent possesses, at least when compared with other centre-backs. This doesn’t nullify the German international’s overall game, however, as he compensates for his unconvincing mobility with laser-like vision, identifying potential threats and stopping them from turning into goals. If Mertesacker cannot read a play before it proves costly, Koscielny utilises his speed by making up the ground and getting back to a position in which he can make a tackle or block a shot. Blessed with invaluable experience, the former Werder Bremen player reflects his defensive nous with near impeccable positioning, perhaps another area that makes up for his lethargy, opposed to his French counterpart who can occasionally be exploited when out of position.
During the summer, it was claimed that a centre-back should be signed to add depth, after Sébastien Squillaci and Johan Djourou departed for Bastia and Hamburg [on loan], respectively. Ultimately, Arsène Wenger opted against bringing in another defender, trusting Thomas Vermaelen to handle all responsibilities when one of the first choice duo are fatigued/injured. As club captain, you’d be forgiven for expecting Vermaelen to start more than the three games he has featured from the off this season, in all competitions. With the World Cup fast approaching and competition for a place in Belgium’s back-line fierce, a January move for the 28-year-old may be on the cards. Koscielny’s injury sustained against Manchester City illustrates the problems that would potentially arise if even one of the centre-backs picked up a serious problem and a crisis similar to what Borussia Dortmund have recently endured with regards to desperate measures being brought into place thanks to ignorance in finding alternates for all possible scenarios could occur. How do Arsenal avoid such a nightmare from coming to fruition? It’s quite simple, by signing an extra option in January. Who? Kurt Zouma, Saint Etienne’s prodigal son, has been linked recently, with rumours circuiting that scout Gilles Grimandi is keeping tabs on the 19-year-old. Zouma’s arrival would offer a defender with quite some potential and, maybe, a long-term replacement for Per Mertesacker. With the French influence at the club, settling wouldn’t be an issue, though a fee may prove the stumbling block in such a deal going through.
Conclusively, Arsenal are well poised to succeed and can thank their defence for the fantastic start. From new contracts to new signings, the back-line are very likely to receive a shake-up over the course of the campaign, but there’s no doubt, at least in my mind, that sustaining this strength will lead to the long-awaited completion of a very tiresome mission.
Stats via www.msn.foxsports.com and www.squawka.com.
