Arsenal looked out of sorts in Istanbul yesterday in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier against Besiktas. The Turkish side was supremely motivated to put on a good display in front of the home supporters, and the atmosphere was loud and intimidating all match.
Arsene Wenger commented in the pre-match buildup that the two-legged series against Besiktas is the club's most important fixture until January, but his team lacked the quality to step up and play the way they are capable yesterday.
Demba Ba nearly caught Wojciech Szczesny off his line at the kickoff and Besiktas bossed large portions of the match, creating several good chances to score. The Arsenal defense held up well under the pressure, however, with Callum Chambers impressing in particular. Chambers was assured and confident for most of the match. He has been better than advertised; seamlessly filling in for Per Mertesacker in defense and stepping up to the challenge of playing in such a raucous atmosphere at such a young age. It was all well and good, but Chambers will hope that he won't be relied on so heavily in the home leg as Arsenal will hope to keep better possession.
The pitch, which was in very poor condition, had a significant impact on the Gunners' typical short-passing style. The Gunners lost possession frequently before they could reach the Besiktas box, constantly putting their defense under pressure.
Arsenal was at their best when they abandoned their principles and attacked quickly and directly after winning possession. The speed and dribbling ability of Alexis Sanchez was on full display. The Chilean was Arsenal's best player on the night, driving the team forward as well as working hard to reclaim the ball. Sanchez set up both Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla in the opening 15 minutes, but neither player was able to convert.
The lethargic Giroud, and to a lesser extent Cazorla, really struggled. Giroud is normally great with his first touch and link-up play--undeniably his best attribute as a player--but he was very poor last night. Attack after attack ended with the Frenchman's poor first touch.
Wenger has said he is happy with his striking options, and that he doesn't anticipate making any additions in this area. Therefore Giroud will likely be the team's only proven center forward for a second consecutive season.
I refuse to believe Wenger's intention is to play him in 50 matches again this year. Giroud visibly wore down in the second half of last season, and after playing for France in in the World Cup this summer, he still looks tired and in need of rest.
If Wenger does intend to play Sanchez as a center forward, the time to do it might be sooner rather than later. Personally I think we could see Walcott given a run of games in the middle when he returns from injury, with Sanchez staying in his more natural position on the right, at least until the Chilean adapts to the physicality of English play. But some sort of rotation in the middle is imperative. Last night showed that a tired Giroud is a liability to the whole team. He cannot be relied on so heavily again.
While never possessing the speed to get in behind defenses, Giroud is at his best when he is an energetic front-man, constantly making runs into intelligent positions where he can link up with the midfield or get on the end of crosses. Last night there was no movement, no energy.
Cazorla wasn't much better.
The Spaniard was outstanding in his first season in London, but regressed last year when the addition of Ozil pushed Cazorla out of his favored position and onto the left wing. When in the middle, Cazorla thrived in the pocket of space between midfield and defense. He has struggled since being shifted outside.
It seems he has been given the freedom to try and find that same space in his new position, but it hasn't been as effective. As the left winger, Cazorla is normally man-marked by the opposing right fullback. At 29, he does not have the pace to get in behind his marker. As a result, the defender can normally play very close to Cazorla and deny space when he checks back to receive the ball. He consequently drifts further and further toward the middle, killing the width and spacing of the Arsenal attack.
Personally I would rather see Cazorla back in the middle, at least until Ozil returns to the side. The attack lacks cutting edge without a #10. And even when Ozil gets back, I would rather not see Cazorla on the wing anymore.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should take his place. Despite playing only 20 minutes, the Ox made a big impact last night. He created Arsenal's best chance, a shot that hit the far post after creating space for himself with some incisive dribbling. The Ox has the pace to play the on the wing more effectively than Cazorla, especially in a more direct game. And after only playing 10 minutes against Crystal Palace Saturday, he had fresh legs. Which brings me to my next point...
I thought the squad should have been rotated more for last night's match. No one is fully fit as its still so early in the season. And unlike in years' past, we have an abundance of players who can rotate in at midweek. The defense is lacking numbers, and therefore Wenger had little choice in that area, but other areas of the team have enough depth to rotate.
Tomas Rosicky had a long summer and is ready to play. The Ox and Joel Campbell looked much more fit than Cazorla or Giroud in their preseason appearances.
Wenger surely must have been able to inspect the state of the pitch before naming his team. He must have known the rough surface would negatively affect his favored short-passing style of play. A little more pace might have made Arsenal much more dangerous on the counter if he had set up his team to play more directly--a style of play that better fit the field conditions. Instead he picked Cazorla and Giroud, specialists in the slower style.
Its always easy to see in hindsight, and I don't mean to be so negative. A draw is a good result away from home in a loud, intimidating atmosphere like that. The defense played well, Szczesny kept the clean sheet, and the midfield created lots of good opportunities for Giroud. Aaron Ramsey was harshly sent off late for two yellow cards, both of which were very soft. But even after losing a player Arsenal remained in control and saw the game out.
I don't mind that Ramsey will be suspended for the home leg, either. Ramsey's importance to the team means he won't get many games off this season. Forced rest won't be so bad if it helps him stay fit. I think the team can still beat Besiktas without him.
In all, like the opener against Palace last weekend, the result is what matters most. Having not conceded, Arsenal will like their chances of winning at home next week. But the performance needs to improve for the trip to Everton on Saturday.
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