Arsenal sent 11 players to this summer’s FIFA World Cup. Let’s have a look at how they faired – or are fairing – in the tournament.
Mesut Özil – Arsenal’s record signing has been an ever-present cog in Germany’s impressive run to the World Cup final. While Özil has largely occupied an unfamiliar wide role, he’s managed to impress onlookers with his silky touches and unrivaled vision. He started off the tournament in fine form, playing an integral part in Germany’s 4-0 drubbing of Portugal. After a solid group stages, he finally tallied his first goal against Algeria to seal a nervy win for the Germans. An underwhelming display against France resulted in a few onlookers doubting his credentials, however he rebounded well against Brazil (tallying an assist and maintaining a high level of play). Overall, Özil could probably be doing a bit better at the moment, however the German Wizard has put in a few very impressive performances. He leads all players at the World Cup in chances created, and probably deserves a few more goals and assists as a result. Look for his level of play to improve even more for Arsenal next season.
Lukas Podolski – Podolski has spent most of this World Cup on the bench, featuring largely in cameo appearances. His only start came against the USA, where he put in a workmanlike performance over the first 60 minutes. “Poldi” started off the match in promising fashion, however he eventually faded into obscurity before being replaced. With over 100 caps to his name, Podolski was added to the World Cup squad largely due to his vast international experience. It doesn’t seem like he was ever a major part of Germany’s World Cup plans.
Per Mertesacker – “BFG” has carried on his trademark calculated defending onto the national side, using his intelligence and anticipation to help the German defense remain solid. Mertesacker was largely untroubled over the first few games of the tournament, conceding only 3 goals in 4 matches. He was dropped from the starting XI for the quarterfinals and semi finals, however he put in a tidy performance after coming on for the second half of Germany’s famous victory over Brazil. Mertesacker barely put a foot wrong for Die Mannschaft, tallying a couple of very solid performances
Olivier Giroud – Striker Olivier Giroud has had a mixed tournament to say the least. After entering the competition in blistering form, the Frenchman found himself dropped against Honduras for Antoine Griezmann. An uneventful substitute cameo lead many to write him off, however Didier Deschamps handed him a shock start in the next match against Switzerland. Giroud opened his World Cup scoring account in the 16th minute with towering header off Mathieu Valbuena’s corner kick, and he repaid Valbuena with a well timed assist for the match’s 3rd goal. Giroud’s overall level of play was top notch as he seemingly re-discovered the early season form he displayed at Arsenal. He was dropped again against Ecuador, however Giroud found himself back in the starting lineup for France’s round of 16 clash against Nigeria. This time, the outcome was very different. Giroud flopped, failing to register any meaningful contributions before being subbed off for Antoine Griezmann. He would remain on the bench until the last 15 minutes of France’s loss to Germany, with Les Blues crashing out to the superior German opposition. Giroud may not have had a perfect World Cup, but he did display signs that he could be about to have a quality season for Arsenal. His linkup and holdup play looked immense at times, and his finishing seemed a lot more confident. Should he receive the proper support next season, he could thrive for the Gunners.
Laurent Koscielny – Koscielny entered the World Cup locked in a head to head battle with fellow CB Mamadou Sakho for the rights to partner Raphael Varane. While Koscielny’s club form was largely superior last season, Sakho managed to edge him out. As a result, Koscielny sat on the bench for large portions of the World Cup. Left out for France’s first two matches, Koscielny made consecutive starts against Ecuador and Nigeria, helping Les Blues keep a clean sheet on both occasions. Surprisingly, he was then dropped from the starting XI for France’s quarterfinal run in with Germany, which eventually ended in a 1-0 loss. Koscielny may not have gotten the chances he probably deserved, however he always impressed when given the opportunity. By doing so, he has made a strong claim for a starting role in France’s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
Jack Wilshere – After an inconsistent and injury plagued season, Wilshere spent most of the World Cup playing second fiddle to Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson. He came off the bench against Italy and Uruguay, failing to make a telling contribution in both matches. A starting role against Costa Rica enabled him to showcase his talents, with the Englishman tallying a solid, positive performance against the Ticos. Wilshere was unfortunate to enter the World Cup under such circumstances, however he is guilty of failing to impress when given the opportunity to do so. He’ll need to do better if he wants to become an England regular.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – Chamberlain missed all 3 of England’s group stage matches after injuring his knee in a friendly against Ecuador. England’s torrid display this summer points to the fact that the Ox was sorely missed on Roy Hodgson’s England squad. This may have been month to forget for Chamberlain, however he will certainly get his chances in the years to come.
Thomas Vermaelen – To put it bluntly, it was a pretty miserable World Cup for Thomas Vermaelen. An unused substitute in 4 of Belgium’s 5 World Cup matches, Vermaelen’s impact was downright minimal throughout the tournament. He managed one start against Russia, however he was forced off in the first half due to injury. The Arsenal captain’s form has been stagnant for about a year now, and that doesn’t look like changing as long as Mertesacker and Koscielny remain first choice CB’s for the club.
Joel Campbell – It’s a bit of a stretch to call Joel Campbell an Arsenal player. The Costa Rican joined the Gunners in 2011, yet he has never featured for the club. After an impressive loan spell at Olympiacos this past season, it appeared like he might be given the chance to prove his worth at Arsenal. However while there were some doubts before the World Cup, Campbell’s electrifying performances have largely quelled them. An integral part of Costa Rica’s shock run to the quarterfinals, Campbell has wowed the world with his dribbling, tenacity and flair. He absolutely dominated Uruguay, with his well taken goal and defense slicing assist leading the Ticos to a historic 3-1 win. After two impressive performances against Italy and England, Campbell had done the unthinkable. He’d lead minnows Costa Rica to only their second ever knockout stage appearance. The Ticos eventually bowed out against the Netherlands via a penalty shootout, however Campbell can take heart knowing he may have just saved his Arsenal career. It will be interesting to see whether he can convince Wenger to keep him around for next season.
