Gameweek four is upon us and in the first Saturday fixture of the season for the Gunners, Newcastle United stand in the way. Since Steve McClaren took charge at the north East side, he has made several key signings that all help to bolster the side which was ridiculed last season for its lack of quality. Arsenal must find a way to deal with these new elements if they are to grab all three points.
The most prominent signings that Newcastle made were those of Georginio Wijnaldum, Chancel Mbemba, Florian Thauvin and Aleksandar Mitrovic. These are all players that most Premier League sides would have been ecstatic with and as such Arsenal must nullify the threat of these players in order to win.
On the face of it, these signings coupled with the likes of Moussa Sissoko and Rolando Aarons make Newcastle a formidable attacking side, however, as of yet they have yet to really get going, as they have only been able to score two goals in the league in three games. That being said, they are still a force to be reckoned with and as such cannot be taken lightly.
Mitrovic is a brute of a player; much like Olivier Giroud in his physical style of play, he can hold the ball up well but he is also capable of latching onto through balls thanks to the extra yard of pace he has over the Frenchman. Having scored 44 goals in 90 appearances for former side Anderlecht, it is clear that he is a natural goalscorer and is certainly an upgrade on Papiss Cisse, which is why he must be man marked by Gabriel Paulista, the likely senior defender on the day, with Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny unlikely to feature.
Wijnaldum and Thauvin offer different problems to the Gunners. They are both incredibly gifted footballers who excel with the ball at their feet. They will act as the creators for Newcastle and seeing as the young Frenchman scored on his debut for McClaren’s side, he is likely to be popping a few shots at goal as well. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that they are closed down quickly. Should the Arsenal defenders allow these two any time or space on the ball, they will undoubtedly cause problems for Petr Cech.
Chancel Mbemba is a quality signing for Newcastle. He adds more solidarity at the back when partnered with Fabricio Coloccini and a lot of Newcastle’s stalemate with Manchester United was thanks to his defensive efforts. Clearly, he will be a problem for Arsenal going forward and that is why Giroud is needed in the middle. The Frenchman is more physically dominating than Walcott and as such must be played through the middle.
Equally, Arsenal must utilise the ball out wide. With the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hecto Bellerin and Nacho Monreal all making runs down the wing, there is no reason why crosses can’t be played into the box for Giroud. Arsenal fans have seen time and time again that Giroud plays best when he gets chances made for him closer to goal.
No matter the side that McClaren fields, however, Arsene Wenger will be aiming for all three points. If the Gunners have genuine ambitions of winning the title, then they must display their capability to defeat teams like Newcastle.
Comments.
Loading comments…