Having suggested that a three-man defence was an effective guard against counterattacks, the Arsenal manager has played a back four in the past three matchesThree weeks ago, before Arsenal lost against Manchester United, Arsène Wenger suggested playing a back three had helped his side combat the counterattack which, of all their many weaknesses over the past decade, has probably been their biggest.It was a claim that prodded interest at the time and has become more intriguing only in the days since. The truth of it will be severely tested on Friday as Arsenal face Liverpool, who at the moment are one of the most dangerous counterattacking sides in the world. Related: Arsène Wenger: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain not a sure starter at...
The French midfielder sat out the dying moments of the thrilling 3-1 victory at Arsenal but will be sorely missed for the Manchester derby and beyondA French midfielder with massive presence sent off in an intense match between Manchester United and Arsenal reflected on his emotions in the dressing room, mind whirring while the latter stages of the game was played without him. “It’s tough, especially in a big moment like that,” he said. “You feel like you let the team down. There are so many emotions going through your mind, and everything is negative – I was so mad about the red card.” As it happens, those words belong to Patrick Vieira, who experienced the frustration of being dismissed –...
Despite numerous chances at the Emirates Stadium, Arsène Wenger’s side came off second best once again and showed they remain unstable at the backFor 79 minutes on Saturday, Arsenal were superb. In that spell, they had 32 shots to Manchester United’s five. They pummelled a team noted for their organisation, creating chance after chance. As Arsène Wenger underlined afterwards, they hammered them on the xG. They forced David de Gea into a Premier League record 14 saves. The problem was that by the time they began that spell, they were 2-0 down.There is an entire chapter in Alex Ferguson’s last but one book devoted to Wenger and how predictable he found Arsenal, how easy they were to counter-attack. Wenger claimed last week...
Arsène Wenger might rightly feel his side should have won, but that would be to deny the unadulterated brilliance of the man in Manchester United’s goalHow did Arsenal not win this match? Actually scratch that. How did Arsenal not win this match 6-3, or at the very least end up drawing it? This is not a rhetorical question. There is an answer. The main reason this didn’t happen and why instead Manchester United were able to extract a stirring, ruthlessly executed 3-1 away win is because David de Gea produced a performance of relentless brilliance in goal.For an hour at the Emirates, as Arsenal surged back from the indignity of conceding a 2-0 deficit, De Gea was a one-man spider’s...
The Gunners have long been vulnerable to conceding goals on the break but Arsène Wenger’s change in formation has helped in addressing the problemA common sight at the Emirates Stadium in the past decade has been the away team storming into acres of space to seek reward on the counterattack, with Arsenal’s defensive players nowhere to be seen. The weakness has often flared in the biggest games and one of the best examples was the goal Cristiano Ronaldo scored to clinch Manchester United’s victory over Arsène Wenger’s side in their Champions League semi-final in 2009. United ruthlessly exploited Arsenal’s gung-ho approach, breaking at exhilarating speed, Ronaldo hurtling into the area to finish off a move he had started with a...