Arsenal clinched a second consecutive Champions League victory on Tuesday night as they hammered Greek side Olympiakos 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Now you might say that 2-0 isn’t a hammering, however Arsenal could have have won by a far bigger margin but for veteran Greek keeper Antonios Nikopolidis superb performance in the first half.
In the end though Arsenal’s attacking panache and threat paid off with two goals in the last 12 minutes.
The Artisans
Arsenal’s style of play is very attractive and is almost Barcelona-esque in the style. They may not have players as good as the European champions but they play the game in a similar way. Their short passing and attractive attacking play has always been a trademark of Arsene Wenger’s reign with the Gunners and this season is no different.
They always try to play the game the right way and rarely resort to kick and rush football. On their day they are one of the most attractive teams to watch in Europe. I have to admit as a neutral I love to watch the Gunners play and take every opportunity to do so.
The soft centre
However there is a problem for the Gunners as they seem to have something very important missing. Some say its their soft centre with the Gunners struggling against sides who have a more physical style. They particularly have this problem in the Premier League. The likes of Bolton, Hull and Stoke bullying the Gunners in recent seasons and claiming points that they simply shouldn’t have.
The back four of Gael Clichy, William Gallas, Thomas Vermaelen and Bacary Sagna sounds like a very good back line to me. New centre back Thomas Vermaelen has looked like a very shrewd signing from Arsene Wenger and has also chipped in with some vital goals already.
French full back Gael Clichy has the potential to be one of the best in the world. His compatriot Bacary Sagna is a real unsung hero in the other full back position. Gallas has had some well documented problems with his attitude but on his day is a superb defender.
I don’t think the problem is the defence. The Gunners have a big problem with their holding midfield role. The likes of Denilson and Alexandre Song have both occupied the position but neither have looked like they could make that role their own. However Alexandre Song has produced some decent performances this season in the anchor role. This position is vital in the formation they play and they need somebody to come in and command the role.
In Europe however they can play their own attacking brand of football without worrying about being out muscled. There are not many teams in the Champions League that will fight as hard as the relegation battlers in the Premier League. The likes of Olympiakos, Standard Liege and AZ Alkmaar all prefer to play football than battle for victories.
Arsene Wenger’s side face Blackburn Rovers this weekend at the Emirates Stadium. Blackburn are just the sort of battling team that Arsenal have struggled against in the past. However at home Arsenal usually overcome these sides. Its the away games that usual prove a problem for the Gunners.
This season though the Gunners have only suffered defeats to Manchester City and an unlucky defeat at Manchester United. They could have won both of those matches and are looking in good shape this season. Wenger celebrates 13 years in charge of the Gunners this week and the clubs transition in those years has been amazing. The whole clubs philosophy has completely transformed and I think the clubs wait for a trophy could be over this season.
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