Arsenal 0 – West Ham 2 (Kouyate 43′, 57′)
Match Highlights – Post-Match Press Conference
Sometimes it’s pretty difficult to write about a game you didn’t watch, but after reading a plethora of match reports and watching a couple of clips here and there, I’m actually glad I didn’t subject myself to such mental torture. Arsenal is one club that never ceases to surprise me. We had played five preseason games, won all five of them, scored 15 and conceded just one goal to Ross Barkley (did you guys see his screamer against Watford?!). The Gunners even battled for a hard-fought victory over Chelsea and many thought that the players had the right platform to start the Premier League campaign on a high. What did we get instead? Same ol’ disappointing bottling shoot-themselves-on-foot Arsenal.
Canon Crested’s resident blogger says that the sky is definitely falling, but I think it’s too early to start drawing conclusions for the campaign ahead. While I’ve seen several reports and player ratings for the game, I was shocked to see how a veteran like Petr Cech fluffed like that. Yes, we all make mistakes from time to time, but it wasn’t an encouraging start to his life at North London bearing in mind that we would have crucified Wojciech Szczesny or David Ospina if they committed such errors. The goalie shared his thoughts after the game on Twitter,
First game like this was not in the script – Mistake and no points 😒 but tomorrow is another day to get ready for the next game ! 😉 #COYG
— Petr Cech (@PetrCech) August 9, 2015
That’s a very good attitude from the goalie and bearing in mind that he has played 635 games in world football. Cech is a legendary goalie goalkeeper that will be a fantastic addition to the club but this loss to West Ham would be a reality check the lads needed. Besides Cech, several outfield players under performed and I expect the manager to shake things up against a Crystal Palace side that began their own campaign with a win over Norwich.
Santi Cazorla thrived in the base of the midfield besides Francis Coquelin but since the campaign began, Wenger has deployed him on the left flank, to accommodate Aaron Ramsey in the middle.
Cazorla doesn’t get to see the ball as much as he’d want and now that’s he’s deployed on the left flank, he’d have to cut in to make his mark. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens between Cazorla and Ramsey when Sanchez returns to the left wing. With Francis Coquelin and Mesut Ozil more or less assured of their places due to the importance of their roles, it’s going to be nice to know how Wenger manages the situation.
Elsewhere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was culpable for another goal yet again, like what he did against Everton in the Barclays Asia Trophy. The forward needs to add some consistency to his game if he wants to keep his place in the side. The Olivier Giroud – Theo Walcott conundrum continued and one wonders how long it’s going to go on for. So many questions, no answers yet.
Wenger would need to remind the lads that it’s really important they bounce back from this disastrous result with three vital points at Selhurst Park. Per Mertesacker agrees with this sentiment. Crystal Palace have become a very decent side since Pardew took over and they’ve been a tough nut to crack at home with the Gunners struggling to snatch a victory but got it nonetheless.
It’s really sad to see things pan out this way but we would have to wait till Sunday to see how the lads prepare for the game. The guys have worked really hard in the summer and the performances in preseason showed some good cohesion. With Alexis Sanchez working his way to full fitness, he would be vital for the team in their bid for silverware this season.
Sayonara.
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