-
Arsenal FC – Olivier Giroud & Laurent Koscielny Aren’t Good Enough
Of the many mistakes and bad signings Arsene Wenger has made for Arsenal over the past few years, two stand out above the rest – Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud. Both Frenchmen, tall and impressive looking, before they start playing football.
-
Arsenal FC – Santi Cazrola Doing Just Fine On His Own
Benching Jack Wilshere was one of the best decisions Arsene Wenger has made in a long time, even with everyone for the hope of English football to be playing 90 minutes every time. At the moment, Arsenal are a better team without him in the lineup, allowing Santi Cazorla, a better player than the young Englishman, to be at his best, which means more wins for a side that is third at the moment, but needs teams to drop points in order to remain there.
-
Arsenal FC – Santi Cazorla Enjoying Playing on His Own
Giving Santi Cazorla the reins in the middle of the pitch isn’t such a bad idea. No Jack Wilshere, no Diaby (as usual), no Theo Walcott. Arsenal were just fine. In a match that was about scoring and creativity, there was no problem filling the midfield with players who do just that, giving Arsenal one of their few truly fun to watch wins of the season.
-
Arsenal FC – Santi Cazrola Continues to Stand Out
He didn’t score, but once again, his work rate and decisions on both ends of the pitch put him a level above the rest of the team. Santi Cazorla keeps pushing Arsenal forward, like he did in the midweek away win, giving the team the kind of bite that was lacking for quite some time with his relentlessness, that might suffice for a place in the Champions League when the season is over.
-
Arsenal FC – Santi Cazorla Woke Up Too Late
All of Arsenal showed up at the wrong time, a little bit too late. Santi Cazorla looked like the player he was earlier this season, with an all-around great effort, making up for the absence of Jack Wilshere, but it was simply not enough, because one match, one impressive away win doesn’t take away from years of mediocrity and decline.
-
Arsenal FC – That’s What You Get for Olivier Giroud
Arsenal have more than just one problem and frankly, Olivier Giroud isn’t the worst of them. Arsene Wenger trapped in a concept that hasn’t worked for years, ownership that wants profit over anything and a squad that simply isn’t good enough to reach the goals expected from the club, by fans or the front office.
-
Arsenal FC – Lukas Podolski Needs a Little Bit of Luck
Lucky win? Arsenal did deserve to come out as the winners for once, but not with the usual style their known for, that hasn’t been bringing them lots of points this season. Lukas Podolski scored the winning goal, needing a lucky touch to actually see it go in, but winning ugly is something Arsenal might need to start doing more often.
-
Arsenal FC – Olivier Giroud & Theo Walcott in Promising Partnership
Once again, the defense looked terrible whenever it was pressed. Not for the first time, Arsenal hardly showed up for the first half. Yet there were enough positives to take from a match which could have ended as another disaster, instead finishing with a positive note, thanks to the improving partnership of Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud.
-
Arsenal FC – Theo Walcott to Save the Day
Most of the work on the FA Cup triumph was done by Olivier Giroud, who suddenly can’t stop scoring (although against a vastly inferior opponents), but defensive malfunctions set up Theo Walcott to save Arsenal from an embarrassing result with a goal that probably caused him some deja vu.
-
Arsenal FC – Lukas Podolski Waking Up From Slumber
If Arsene Wenger could have asked for one performance to restore some faith in his decisions and his brand of football, it was this. Not just the win, not just the ability, but the players who played the key part in it, all three he signed in the summer: Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla and even Olivier Giroud.