Rating Arsenal’s Midfielders in the 2012/13 Season

The Matadors of Arsenal’s midfield

In the yesteryear, Arsene Wenger lined up a formidable 4-4-2 formation that had the right balance in defense, midfield and attack.

Using the Invincibles of the 2003/04 season as a classic example, the defense had rock-solid personnel that instilled fear in opposition forwards, the midfield had a mix of doggedness, aggression, panache, flair and creativity and the attackers smashed in goals with ruthless and clinical efficiency.

As the years went by, Wenger changed his approach, fixing his focus on his team’s technical side, which involved passing the ball around intricately before unlocking defenses with that killer through ball for a teammate. With this approach, the manager sacrificed a striker to accommodate an extra midfielder, thus the 4-2-3-1 formation came into fruition.

Wenger used this formation to bring out the best in his prized asset, Cesc Fabregas, and his 19 goals as well as numerous assists in the 2009/10 season epitomized the fact that Arsenal had resolved its football around its Spanish creative hub in midfield. After his flirtations with Barcelona, El Capitan departed North London but the formation remained intact.

Soldiers come and go but the barracks still remain intact, I presume.

Deploying Aaron Ramsey as the creative outlet in the 2011/12 season with Mikel Arteta and Alex Song providing the fulcrum was regarded as a failed experiment as the Welshman became a lightning rod for vitriol from the Arsenal faithful. Tomas Rosicky’s renaissance was a bright spark in a relatively dark campaign and a third place finish was meant to pave the way for good things to come.

This season, the Gunners acquired the services of Santi Cazorla and to everyone’s surprise, Arsenal made their second major sale, when Alex Song joined Barcelona, rather their bench, for £15 million. Song’s shock departure caused a stir but with Arsenal not bringing in any replacements, Arteta took one for the team, curbing his attacking instincts to become the team’s primary holding midfielder.

As the season progressed, Cazorla became the team’s creative lynchpin while Abou Diaby and Arteta provided the pivot supporting defence and attack. Diaby had his trademark injury layoffs but players like Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky and Francis Coquelin put in decent shifts while Jack Wilshere made his comeback from a lengthy injury.

This is the third installment of a four-post series focused on Arsenal’s performances in the 2012/13 season. I’ve already published my ratings on the performances of the goalkeepers  and defenders but today’s post is focused on Arsenal’s fulcrum in the middle of the park.

Feel free to share your comments.

Abou Diaby – 15 Apps, No Goal, One Assist

Abou Diaby’s career went downhill after that horrific tackle in 2006 when Arsenal visited the Stadium of Light. After seeing different specialists all over the globe, Diaby finally managed to get some preseason games under his belt  and it was widely believed that he was going to realize his potential with a consistent run out this season.

He began the campaign in the curtain raiser against Sunderland (home) and his physicality was highly welcome when the Gunners visited that Rugby playing lot. After his Man of the Match performance against Liverpool (away), everyone ran out of superlatives for the midfielder and comparisons between him and Patrick Vieira came in faster than Usain Bolt’s 100m Olympic World Record.

He was largely disappointing in Arsenal’s away draw against Manchester City (away) but when we thought that Diaby was going to get an extended run of games, he suffered an injury and was sidelined for a considerable chunk of the season. The lanky Frenchman finally made his return in the home fixture against Manchester City and his rustiness was glaring as he struggled in the game. His poor form continued in the Chelsea loss (away) and he was dropped from therein.

His hot and cold season continued when he followed up an outstanding performance against Stoke (home) with a rather disappointing outing in the nervy win over Sunderland. (away). His season came to an abrupt end when the club announced that he had ruptured his cruciate ligament on his knee and he’s to be out for nine months.

As they say, a picture speaks more than a thousand words

What’s the point of having a Lionel Messi in your team if he cannot play. In my honest opinion, I feel very sorry for Diaby but its high time the club cuts its losses with the Frenchman, as he cannot be banked upon to stay fit when his services are needed.

Rating – 4/10

Francis Coquelin – 22 Apps, No Goal, One Assist

After his stellar performances as a utility player last season, many had hoped that this would be the year of the Coq and with Song out of the equation, everything seemed to be in place for the young Frenchman to finally make his breakthrough. The midfielder featured sparingly in the Premier League but got run-outs in the domestic Cup competitions as well as some game time in the Champions League.

As for his performances, the midfielder didn’t light up any fireworks and his sporadic amount of games didn’t help his cause either. Coquelin managed to play 90 minutes in only five games this season with his remaining appearances being bit-part roles as the season progressed.

Till this day, I’m still struggling to understand his introduction for Olivier Giroud when Arsenal needed a goal against Aston Villa (away).

With Schalke reportedly linked with the midfielder, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t jump ship this season.

Rating – 4/10

Aaron Ramsey – 47 Apps, Two Goals, Five Assists

If words could kill, Aaron Ramsey would have been in the other realm.

He battling hard to come back to playing football after he was Shawcrossed but replacing the departed Cesc Fabregas in the attacking midfield role was a big burden for his shoulders as he struggled with form and fitness. With Santi Cazorla given the mantle of creativity, Ramsey had to make do with a place on the dugout as he appeared as a substitute in his first five games this season.

Like last season, there were games when Wenger tried to make Ramsey a jack-of-all-trades but he still a master of none. However, he put up a very decent shift when he was deployed as a right winger in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City (away). Abou Diaby’s unfortunate and untimely injury in the game against Chelsea (home) afforded Ramsey a chance to get more games under his belt.

He marked his return with a delicious chip against Olympiakos but thankfully, no famous figurehead gave up the ghost.

Jack Wilshere’s long-awaited return to the team saw Ramsey spend some time on the bench but the lad always put up good shifts when he was summoned. He supplied an inch-perfect assist to Theo Walcott in the 1-1 draw against Everton (away) and a neat assist to Gervinho in the win over Swansea (away).

Unlike last season where Ramsey tried to over-complicate things by being too stylish on the ball, he kept things simple this season and this improved his game. According to WhoScored, Ramsey had a pass completion percentage of 88.3 percent in the Premier League and he also created 44 chances for his teammates. His carefully-weighted pass against Everton (home) certainly caught the eye but Olivier Giroud’s wayward finish couldn’t match the excellent buildup.

Since his return to the squad in the holding midfield position, Ramsey became a refined player and worked in tandem with Arteta, balancing defense and attack. His performances were so good to the extent that he was voted as Arsenal’s Player of the Month for the month of April, which is a welcome return from the same fans that rained curses on him in the past.

Ramsey ended the season in full bloom, I certainly hope he builds on this.

Rating – 7/10

Tomas Rosicky – 16 Apps, Three Goals, Two Assists

Tomas Rosicky was one of the best things that happened to Arsenal in the tail end of last season.

After suffering a niggling injury that halted his progress for his nation in Euro 2012, the Czech midfielder went under the knife and didn’t make any appearance for the Gunners till the winter, and to be honest, he wasn’t missed. The fans had been wowed by the excellent Santi Cazorla, and with his age becoming a factor, a few felt it was high time for Little Mozart to call it quits.

In Rosicky’s first full game this season, he put up a Man of the Match performance in that dead-rubber game against Olympiakos (away) that ended in defeat. He featured sparsely after that game but he came to life in spring when the Gunners visited Munich to rock the football world with that spirited victory over Bayern.

With Jack Wilshere out injured and Santi Cazorla drifted to the left, Rosicky had more games under his belt and was instrumental in Arsenal’s win over West Brom as he scored a well-taken brace. He also supplied an assist to Theo Walcott in the league match against Manchester United.

With Wilshere failing to regain his form after his return from injury, Rosicky continued his extended run of games till the end of the season. At the age of 32, Rosicky is living on borrowed time but Arsenal fans can be thankful for Little Mozart as he delivered when he was summoned in the business end of the season.

Rating – 7/10

Jack Wilshere – 33 Apps, Two Goals, Six Assists

14 months out of the beautiful game.

For a player like Jack Wilshere that’s known for his passion and zeal for the game, it must have felt like an eternity. With Robin van Persie leaving for Manchester United, the No. 10 shirt was vacated and it seemed as if Lukas Podolski was odds to take the jersey but it was specially reserved for Wilshere and he expressed his delight in being bestowed with the honor.

When he made his long-awaited return against Queens Park Rangers (home), every touch was appreciated by the Emirates crowd as they saw their No. 10 strut his stuff for the first time. Things turned sour for the Englishman when he received his marching orders against Manchester United (away) but he learned from those events and scored a goal against Montpellier after some good work from Olivier Giroud.

He continued to put up stellar performances and the assists were flowing in as well, with some defense-splitting passes against Newcastle (home), West Ham (home) and Liverpool (home). The English Press sang his songs in the wake of a high-profile friendly against Brazil in Wembley, and he didn’t disappoint with another magnificent outing for the Three Lions.

Amid all the justified hype around the midfield maestro, things turned very sour when he suffered a thigh strain against Sunderland. Arsenal had harbored hopes of the midfielder playing the home clash against Bayern, so the club doctors had to work their magic on Wilshere.

Wilshere was on the end of some rash challenges against Sunderland

Wilshere played the game against Bayern and even supplied an assist on the night but he and his teammates were powerless as teh Bavarians outclassed Arsenal at the Emirates. Wilshere missed the second leg through an injury and he never rediscovered his form afterwards, with uncharacteristically appalling outings against Norwich and Everton.

He was replaced by Rosicky and made a couple of substitute appearances towards the end of the season. It’s believed that he requires a surgery this summer to fix up an injury but it’s good to know that Wilshere’s performances weren’t unnoticed as he was nominated for the 2013 Young Player of the Year award alongside Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku, Danny Welbeck, Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale.

Rating – 7/10

Mikel Arteta – 43 Apps, Six Goals, Six Assists

With a pass completion percentage of 91.5 percent, Mikel Arteta ranks among the best passers in European football. With Thomas Vermaelen promoted to the rank of captain, Arteta assumed the mantle of the Verm’s second in command and he led the troops whenever the Verm wasn’t available.

With Alex Song leaving for the sunshine of Barcelona, Arsene Wenger tasked Arteta with an unfamiliar holding midfield role, and he excelled admirably in the role this season. In 34 Premier League games, Arteta made 108 tackles, 97 interceptions and 2,750 passes with 2,517 passes reaching its intended target.

Arteta also had the coolest of heads from the penalty spot, converting spot kicks against West Brom (home), Wigan (away), Norwich (home) and Reading (home). He will forever rue his late penalty miss against Fulham (home) that was the difference between three points and one.

His influence on the pitch was unrivaled and I must confess that my heart skipped a beat when he was forced out of action with an injury in Arsenal’s game of the season against Newcastle.

Rating – 9/10

Santi Cazorla – 49 Apps, 12 Goals, 16 Assists

Arsene Wenger was puzzled to know that Santi Cazorla didn’t make the PFA Team of the Season and he’s not alone on that argument. Arsenal fans have been blessed with the sheer brilliance of Santi Cazorla in his debut campaign with the club, and he’ll probably be a good pick for the signing of the 2012/13 season.

The Spanish magician has been a model for consistency this season and he’s the only player in the team that has managed to play every Premier League game thus far this season. The manager also spoke about how Cazorla has surprised him this season with his consistency and amazing fitness levels in a physically demanding league like the Barclay’s Premier League.

In my honest opinion, he has been a joy to watch and in as much as many Gooners have endeared Tomas Rosicky to their hearts, he has spent a considerable chunk of the campaign on the bench due to Cazorla’s imperious form. Cazorla’s versatility has also seen him displace Podolski with Jack Wilshere moved further up the pitch to hone his attacking prowess, which is still a work in progress.

His ambidexterity is a stuff of legends. Like the great Pavel Nedved in the yesteryear, Santi Cazorla can release a surface to goal missile from both feet with consummate ease.

12 goals and 12 assists in his debut Premier League campaign is no mean feat and it’s fair to say that Cazorla has exceeded every expectations. According to WhoScored, Cazorla fired 115 shots, created 96 chances, attempted 86 dribbles, was fouled 50 times, made 184 crosses, passed the ball 2,471 times with a pass completion percentage of 86.8 percent.

Even if he failed to be recognized by the FA for his amazing exploits this season, you don’t need any soothsayer to tell you who Arsenal’s best player is this season.

Rating – 10/10 #Shikenah

So there you have it, the penultimate posts focused on different playing positions in the team. The final post on the attack comes up next.

The voting sequence for the 2012/13 End of Season awards is still ongoing, so feel free to make your votes count in the polls.

Sayonara.

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More Injury Woes, 2012/13 Fixtures Out and Euro 2012 Roundup

What a shame!

Apologies for the lateness of today’s post.

I’ve had one hell of a day but I’m not going to bore you with the Chronicles of enigma106. I certainly won’t tell you that I had a scary dream where I saw Greedenko…Arjen Robbish…Robben supplying a through ball for van Persie in the 93rd minute but Arsenal’s Flying Dutchman shot the ball right at Huntelaar’s face instead of the goal. At that point in time, Holland was 2-1 up and they needed that goal to qualify but van Persie opted for Huntelaar’s nose instead of a gaping goal.

In the post-match interview, van Persie stated Huntelaar unveiled that Arsenal was linked with him and he was odds on to replace him at the Emirates, a bit of info van Persie didn’t take likely I guess.

Switching back to reality, it’s really awkward to know that two years ago, the Netherlands was 90 minutes away from winning the World Cup. Yesterday, a team that had a large chunk of that 2010 World Cup squad became the most under performing Dutch side since the days Attila ruled the Huns.

Bert van Marwijk had to go for broke against Portugal with a simple incentive; score two goals against Portugal, hope for the worst against Denmark and Bob’s your uncle.

The egotistical chums in the form of Rafael van der Fart and Klass-Jan Huntelaar were handed chances to prove why they didn’t deserve to be benched. The former proved his mettle with a sweetly curled effort that put his side on the driving seat, while the latter was as peripheral as a ghost in white surroundings.

I’m not going to bore you with a detailed match report because it certainly won’t change the fact that Holland’s defense was crappy in every sense of the word but I must say that Cristiano Ronaldo killed his demons to produce a stellar performance for his nation. The hair-gel master bagged himself a brace and clipped the post twice.

Shortly after the debacle, Robben has stated that unrest undermined his team’s campaign.

In my opinion, Van Marwijk got his tactics right in his first game against Denmark, but Lady Luck wasn’t on his side as his team kept spurning chances as they came. Up next, his team came up against a tactical astute and efficient German side that were clinical with their chances.

He buckled under some pressure to tweak his starting line-up to include what seemed like his best attacking side but people like Robbish…Robben continued his selfish play, much to the detriment of his team. Nigel de Jong was overrun in midfield, Wesley Sneijder was out of position and it’s fair to say that the van Persie-Huntelaar combo was utter shite.

Elsewhere, Your Royal Cockiness, Nicklas Bendtner, crashed out with his Danish teammates after their loss to Lukas Podolski’s Germany. However, Bendtner found himself in more hot soup as he was fined a whooping £80,000 by UEFA for showing off his Paddy Power pants after scoring against Portugal.

I’m the World’s Best….and I got me some Paddy Power!!!!!

To add to Bendtner’s misery, he was also banned for one international fixture by Europe’s football governing body.

Like Robin van Persie, Bendtner has a long summer to sort his future out with the club and we can only fold our arms and see the route the Great Dane is going to take. He’ll probably be below Lukas Podolski in the pecking order and the potential arrival of Olivier Giroud won’t certainly help his cause.

He had a great European Championships by his standards and I’m pretty sure that a few European predators out there will want a cocky beanpole forward that wears pink boots and shows off his undies when he scores. If he could show off his Danish butt for scoring a brace against Portugal, only the good Lord knows what he’ll do if he scores the match winner in a Champions League final.

Still sticking with news from Euro 2012, two Gunners are scheduled to have spells on the sidelines with their teams still active in the competition. Czech Republic’s captain and star player, Tomas Rosicky, has gone back to Prague to treat his Achilles tendon injury that has been a problem for him throughout the tournament.

Czech Republic’s manager, Michal Bilek, has declared that Rosicky is “irreplaceable” but the Czechs will have to make do without their captain, as they gear themselves up to take on Portugal in the quarterfinals.

Arsenal’s Usain Bolt, or Theo Walcott, as he’s known in this part of the world, is also doubtful to start England’s game against Ukraine. He quit a training session when he picked up a hamstring injury. A concerned Woy Hodgson had this to say:

“Unfortunately Theo had a slight setback in training, and that’s the major concern with him. He felt the hamstring that, of course, kept him out for so long at the end of last season and we were slightly concerned about that when he came to us. But we’ve been lucky that nothing occurred with that [since then].

We had to take the precaution of taking him from the field because he felt a slight tightness there.”

Walcott made a real difference when he came off the bench against Sweden to make a cameo appearance that paid dividends. He scored a lovely goal and provided the assist for a splendid Danny Welbeck finish.

England will take on co-hosts Ukraine while France will lock horns with Sweden. Both sides will want to take top spot to avoid a duel with defending champions, Spain, in the quarterfinals.

To wrap it all up, the Barclay’s Premier League fixtures for the 2o12/13 season are out. Arsenal raises its Premier League curtains with a home tie against Sunderland, a match that brings fond memories about Robin van Persie. Many will hope that he’ll be the one to lead the Gunners on August 18, but if he doesn’t, the world as we know it won’t come to an end.

After reviewing the fixtures, I’m a bit concerned about Arsenal’s run of matches in January 2014, as Arsene Wenger’s men take on Manchester City (H), Chelsea (A), Liverpool (H) and Stoke (H). There’ll also be a potential Capitol One semifinal as well as a FA Cup Fourth Round fixture as well.

Notwithstanding, it’s good to know that we’ll be bracing ourselves for another exciting Premier League campaign.

Apologies again for the lateness of today’s post.

Sayonara.

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Walcott Saves England’s Bacon and Rosicky’s Injury Woes

In the twinkle of an eye, the European Championships has gone beyond the second set of group stage fixtures and the world has witnessed the shift in balance as some nations find their qualification hopes hanging on a thin thread.

From an Arsenal perspective, Andrey Arshavin has been the star of Group A as his nation, Russia, remain in pole position despite a spirited display from Poland. The group’s leading scorer, Alan Dzagoev, has been a class act throughout the tournament and I have a hunch that CSKA Moscow will face a real battle to keep him this summer. It has been reported that Arsenal is preparing a £13m bid for the bloke.

The suspended Gunner present in Group A watched from the sidelines as the reserve penalty stopping hero, Tyton, played all 90 minutes in the draw against Russia. However, Wojciech Szczesny will be between the sticks when the Poles play a crunch match against Czech Republic in a winner takes all match tonight.

The host nation has been very impressive with their lovely style of play but they’ve had just two draws to show for it. Unfortunately, a draw against the Czechs tonight won’t be enough for Smuda’s men so they have to go for broke tonight.

However, the Czechs might be without their star midfielder and captain, Tomas Rosicky. The maestro has aggravated an Achilles tendon injury suffered in the tail end of the concluded season and he has stated that he can’t stand properly:

“Unfortunately I got a knock in the same place where I had issues towards the end of the club season at Arsenal, I’ve gotten hit in the same spot again. Someone kicked me there.

Given my role in the team and the movement I usually get a lot of knocks. You can’t avoid it unfortunately.

I have a lot of swelling and it hurts a lot. It hurts me even if I walk. Actually, I cannot stand on the foot properly.”

Poor ol’ Tomas has been crocked yet again. Why I’m I not surprised?

He still remains hopeful to start tonight’s game though.

Moving over to the Group of Death, the Netherlands will have it all to do when they lock horns with Portugal in their last Group B match and they’ll have to hope for Germany to do them a favor against Nicklas Bendtner’s Denmark.

Bert van Marwijk will have to tweak his squad a bit to further bolster his chances of reaching the finish line. He also has to make a decision on Arjen Robbish…Robben, that has had stinkers in both games he’s played in the tournament. Arseblogger gave a hilarious piece of his mind concerning Arjen Robben’s selfishness:

“Sure, he is capable of some exciting moments but I’ve had my fill of seeing him cut in on his left foot and curling shots way over the bar when he could pass the ball to players in better positions. If I were Robin van Persie I would wait for him to get out of the shower then I would, still in my full kit and boots, kick him repeatedly in the balls until blood came out of his eyes. Then I would invite the rest of the team to do likewise. It’s the only way he’ll learn.”

Group C has no Gunner on the spotlight but the matches provided a nice spectacle for neutrals like me to say the least. Andrea Pirlo rolled back the years with a splendid free kick but Mario Mandzukic’s volley cancelled out the Azzurri.

Like Poland, the Italians have been impressive but a bad result against Ireland coupled with a surprise result for Croatia against Spain can signal the end of the Euro adventure.

When I saw Wily Ol’ Woy Hodgson’s starting line-up against Sweden, I was surprised not to see Theo Walcott on the starting XI despite the fact that James Milner was a bit ineffectual against France. There was also the argument about the Manchester City star’s “work rate” in helping out his teammates in contrast to Walcott but I zeroed my mind down to watch some good football with the hope of seeing the pacey winger at some point in the game.

Andy Carroll’s dispatched a textbook header from a brilliant cross and everything seemed rosy for England at that point in time. Two Olof Mellberg efforts changed the complexion of the game but I was a bit perplexed seeing Zlatan Ibrahimovic launching words at Joe Hart as if the Manchester City goalie shagged his ex-girlfriend or something. John Terry wasn’t far off on the pitch.

Pleas to see Walcott come into the fray were granted as the Arsenal man graced the pitch with barely an hour gone. Walcott made his mark on the game with a well-struck shot that levelled the contest for England and he supplied the match-winning assist for a superb Danny Welbeck goal.

As expected, the media Vultures have waxed lyrical and run out of superlatives for Walcott and his efforts has been recognized by his peers as well as his manager. Arsenal legend, Freddie Ljungberg has stated that he has been impressed by Arsenal’s contingent in the Euros and he hopes to see more signings this summer.

Theo Walcott didn’t want to be left out of the party the media Vultures created for him and he had this to say:

“It’s always nice to come off the bench and show what you can do. I’ve obviously been disappointed that I haven’t played, but I’ve been training hard and it’s not about the starting line-up, it’s a whole squad thing.

“I was sharp warming up and you need to be sharp on the pitch because at this level it’s really, really tough. To make my first appearance in such a high-profile arena means so much because it’s been a long time waiting.”

It’s really nice to see things going well for Walcott on the international stage. It’s no more than he deserves

He’s definitely no longer that 16-year-old kid that boarded a plane to Germany in 2006 without getting any football action.

That young lad that missed a plane to South Africa because his manager preferred one-dimensional wingers to him.

It’s not a cheetah, it’s not Usain Bolt…It’s Walcott.

Arsenal’s speed merchant.

Lest I forget, Euro Gunner Watch gives him a rating of 8.5.

Sayonara

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Euro Gunner Watch: Arshavin on Fire and Szczesny’s Bad Day goes Worse

Sad day for Szczesny

After months of anticipation, the world witnessed another European Championship kick off in grand style as the co-hosts, Poland, started the proceedings against the champions of the 2004 Euros, Greece.

As expected, Poland had their fair share of “-skis” with Marcin Wasilewski, Eugen Polanski, Rafael Murawski, Jakub “Kuba” Blaszczykowski and Robert Lewandowski graced the starting line-up with notable football figureheads like Sebastien Boenisch, Lukasz Piszczek, Ludovic Obraniak and Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny on display. Had the likes of Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Laurent Koscielny opted for Poland, this would have been one hell of a squad.

Greece on the other hand, had the “-s” suffix on every name with notable stars like Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Giorgos Karagonis, Kostas Katsouranis, Theofanis Gekas and the Jesus’ lookalike, Giorgois Samaras donning the Blue outfit.

The game was an enthralling encounter from start to finish, as both nations worked their skins off despite being on the guidance of a card-happy Spanish referee who is believed to have brandished 16 red cards in 19 Liga BBVA games.

There was so much hype surrounding Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski, who has been on the radar of many European predators after his 30-goal haul last season.

Caution was thrown to the wind at the start of the game, but the Poles almost drew first blood when the Dortmund connection was on the spotlight as Lukasz Piszczek’s drilled effort headed straight to Lewandowski but the center forward failed to connect.

Rafal Murawski tested the Greek goalie from some distance but the man between the sticks was up to the challenge. On the other end, Theofanis Gekas nodded the ball just wide off the mark.

The opening goal of the European Championship was from Dortmund with love as ‘Kuba’ and Piszczek terrorized the Greek rearguard before feeding Lewandowski an inch-perfect cross that was finished aplomb with a blistering header.

There was euphoria at the stands as Red became the color flashed everywhere while the folks on Blue were sunken to their seats.

There was some concern in the Greek camp as Avraam Papadopoulos pick up an injury but his replacement, Kyriakos Papadopoulos, made a panicky clearance that wasn’t punished by Damien Perquis. A relative bad day went worse for the Greeks as their best defender by a far mile, Sokratis Papastathopoulos picked up a second booking to earn himself an early bath just before the halftime mark.

The Greek manager tweaked his tactical setup replacing Sotiris Ninis with Dimitris Salpingidis, a move that was worth its weight in gold.

Seconds into the restart, a simple cross into Poland’s danger area saw Szczesny and Marcin Wasilewski saw the goalie have a 2011 Carling Cup moment to allow Salpingidis slam his effort to an unguarded net.

Szczesny stretch was to no avail

It’s worth noting that the commentators decided to add ‘Arsenal’ into the mix after that howler. When Szczesny was making good saves, the man with the microphone yelled,

“Great save from the Polish goalkeeper”

After the cock-up with Wasilewski, the commentator shrieked,

“What a howler from the Arsenal goalkeeper”

Despite having the numerical advantage, Poland acted like Gervinho in the final third, and credit must go to Greece for absorbing the host’s pressure Roberto di Matteo style.

Georgios Samaras had a stinker all game long but he epitomized it by killing a bird in the sky when it seemed easier to score.

Szczesny’s confidence levels were certainly rocked by that mix-up with his defender but his bad day went a whole lot worse when he blatantly infringed Salpingidis in the box, earning himself a straight red card.

bye bye Wojciech

Szczesny took the long walk of shame to the dressing with his nation, Arsenal fans and the world at large witnessing the spectacle but some blame must be given to the atrocious Polish defense that was found wanting, allowing Salpingidis to lurk around unmarked.

With Lukasz Fabianski out of the mix thanks to his shoulder injury, Przemyslaw Tyton ‘prepared for immortality’ as he went between the sticks with his first contribution to the pitch being a daunting task of stopping Georgios Karagounis’ penalty.

The young lad earned himself a cult-hero status for the day with a brilliant save from a poor penalty I must say, but Szczesny’s reaction in the dressing room was epic to say the least.

Thanks for sparing my blushes, Tyton

That miss took the sting off the Greek side but they tried their best only to see a goalscoring effort disallowed in the 75th minute. The game eased off in the dying moments as both nations shared the spoils in an epic battle.

The Euro Gunner Watch series only gives ratings to the Arsenal player watched. Wojciech Szczesny got a 3.0 in my opinion. It’s a performance he’ll want to forget quickly and he must be thankful to Przemyslaw Tyton for sparing his blushes.

Euro Gunner Watch teleported from Warsaw to the Wroclaw Municipal Stadium to witness two Gunners locking horns against each other. It was also heartwarming to know that these Gunners lead their nations respectively.

Zenit’s Vyacheslav Malafeev was preferred to Igor Akinfeev in goal while Yuri Zhirkov, Alexey Berezutskiy, Sergey Ignashevich and Alex Anyukov completed the back line. Other prominent names in the Russian starting line-up were Roman Shirokov, Igor Denisov, Aleksandr Kerzhakov, the sought-after Alan Dzagoev and Arsenal’s much-maligned Andrey Arshavin.

The Czech Republic’s team was a shadow of the side that had one of the most feared midfields in Europe in the yesteryear. I was deeply in love with that golden midfield that had Tomas Galasek as the holding midfielder, Karel Poborsky and Vladimir Smicer providing wit down the flanks while Tomas Rosicky and Pavel Nedved supplied beanpole Jan Koller with the fire power he needed.

However, Tomas Rosicky is the only surviving cog in that midfield engine but he’s currently supported by Jaroslav Plasil, Vaclav Pilar, Petr Jiracek and Jan Rezek. Euro 2004 Czech hero, Milan Baros, spearheaded the attack alone while Chelsea’s Petr Cech was the last line of defense.

The game began in a frantic fashion as both sides pressed each other a lot with the end result being a host of infringements conceded. Tomas Rosicky tried to summon his 2006 FIFA World Cup spirit to blast an effort reminiscent of his wonder strikes against the United States but his speculative effort went high and wide.

The Czech’s were put to the sword as a fluid counter attack from the Russians launched by Alan Dzagoev arrived in Aleksandr Kerzhakov’s path but his effort smashed Cech’s post. However, Dzagoev was on hand to blast the rebound home to hand the Russians the lead. Dzagoev executed a defense-splitting pass to Kerzhakov, but the forward’s shooting boots were clearly missing as he slammed his effort to the side netting.

Andrey Arshavin turned on the screw and upped his game, creating chances for his teammates as well as being ubiquitous on the pitch. The diminutive Assassin tore the Czech defense tore with a through pass to Roman Shirokov that scored a goal the pass deserved with a cheeky lobbed effort over Cech. That was a goal Carlos Vela would have been proud of.

In your face, Vela

Kerzhavov had a very poor game by his standards as he kept spurning chances as they kept coming. The Czech injected some life into their game in the second half, and they got the goal their play deserved when Jaroslav Plasil’s pass cut the Russian defense like hot knife on butter to Vaclav Pilar, who rounded the keeper to make it 2-1.

The goal swung the pendulum to the Czech’s direction but Kerzhakov compounded his misery by breaking the offside trap to go through on goal but his effort was shameful to say the least. He had two more clear cut chances to take his attempt on goal tally to seven, which turned out to be the last straw as Roman Pavlychenko came in stead minutes later.

Russia was almost made to rue Kerzhakov’s spurned chances as Theodor Gebre Selassie fired it a superb volley tthat rocked the side netting. Rosicky almost got an equalizer to his side when he blasted a shot goalwards but Malafeev was equal to the challenge.

The next goal was certainly going to be the most important, and it was Alan Dzagoev that got it, after being on the end of some intricate passing before slamming his effort past the hapless Cech in goal.

Dzagoev put up a 5-star performance

Pavlychenko added some gloss to the scoreline with a shot that slammed the roof. At 4-1, the Czechs looked really downhearted but it was not less than they deserved. Had a striker like Pavlychenko received half of the chances Kerzhakov got, we might have had a mammoth scoreline on our hands.

Yesterday’s result also extends Russia’s unbeaten streak to a 15th successive match. This is their longest non-losing streak in 16 years. Between 1995 and 1996, they stayed unbeaten in 17 successive matches – a streak that was ended at the 1996 European Championships, when they lost their opening match 2-1 to Italy. Of the other teams competing at Euro 2012, only France are currently on a longer unbeaten run (21 matches).

I also want express my gratitude to Wilson Dike for providing me with that info. Follow him on Twitter @wheelsindk

Gooner Daily’s Euro Gunner Watch gives Andrey Arshavin a rating of 8.5 for imperious performance against the Czechs. Tomas Rosicky on the other hand, gets a 7.0 by my books.

I hoped you’ve enjoyed today’s bit of my Euro Gunner Watch.

Your Arsenal digest comes up much later

Sayonara.

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A proper Arsenal post will come up in a bit.

The Everton Aftermath: Confidence Flowing Through

Apologies for the lateness of today’s post. The reasons for writing my post this late are best known to Lukas Podolski’s agent, that has refused to tell us want really we want to hear concerning his client.

Like Arsenal’s FA Cup fixture against Aston Villa that was firmly regarded as a game of two halves, Arsenal’s 2011/12 campaign has had different phases with each passing season.

The usually hot Summer had a very cold effect at the Emirates following the exits of Gael Clichy, Cesc Fabregas and $amir Na$ri coupled with that humiliating 8-2 mauling in the hands of Manchester United. Arsenal experienced the exact opposite of “Fall” (Autumn) as Arsene Wenger’s men rose to glory with a series of wins that saw his team amass 22 points from a possible 24.

The Winter lived up to its cold expectations in Europe and Arsenal’s capitulation in January as well as February played a massive role in extending the long-suffering fans wait for silverware.

Spring has come in full bloom and happy times are back again at the Emirates. A 10-point gap from archrivals Tottenham has disappeared with the wind and the successive wins on the trot are very encouraging indeed.

In the wake of Arsenal’s sixth league win on the bounce against Everton, Arsene Wenger has stated that confidence has returned to his team:

“When the team is very confident you see that many players can score”.

“I felt that the attitude was always very good from the players and the confidence comes from results. We turned a few results around and that creates belief.”

Credit must go to Wenger for rallying his troops to put up this recent run of results that has seen the Gunners usurp Tottenham to the last automatic Champions League spot. He was pushed to the limit following those losses in January as well as the quick-fire exits from the Cups but he kept a cool head and spurred on the members of his team to follow suit.

Arsene Wenger hasn’t been the only Gunner on the spotlight recently. I must say that I have run out of superlatives for the performances of Laurent Koscielny in his second season in top flight football.

Bosscielny amassed over 4,000 minutes of club football last season and he has been synonymous with the starting lineup in this campaign. There was even a period where he played as a right back and he was also impressive there.

However, he has suffered the ignominy of two own goals this season but he has also scored in the right end of the pitch with two headers against Fulham and AC Milan.

Kos the Boss has hailed his team’s spirit for its dogged defensive performance against Everton.

A lot has been said about Arsenal’s impressive performance in Goodison Park but Koscielny has reiterated that the entire team played its bit.

Bacary Sagna kept on winning headers from Wojciech Szczesny’s goal kicks while Kieran Gibbs was very confident in his play. There were times when Thomas Vermaelen was faced against two Everton forwards but the Belgian Verminator was in imperious form. Kos was just the Boss.

The French defender also mentioned his captain’s defensive outing from corners and how the team defended and attacked together as a unit. He also stated the need to maintain the consistency and end in the top four.

The rejuvenated Tomas Rosicky has said that Arsenal’s young Guns makes him feel young at heart despite the fact that he’s 31.

“This is still a group of very young players who need to have players they can grow next to.

“For me, it is fun to be with the young guys because they make me feel young as well!”

Rosicky also deserves some plaudits for stepping up his game when he was needed the most and he was justly rewarded with a contract extension.

Rosicky and Arsenal’s season has been turned around after the club suffered its worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign. The Czech ace also revealed that he advised the squad’s youngsters on how to bounce back from adversity.

It’s always good to know that the senior members of the squad can be counted upon to deliver and Robin van Persie has been the epitome of this feat.

Aaron Ramsey played on an unfamiliar wing role and I hope that Rosicky’s influence will rub off on him. Ramsey has revealed that Arsenal’s desire to finish above Tottenham is shining through.

Tottenham have lost four games on the trot and their fans won’t be happy to know that they are visiting Stamford Bridge next, a ground they haven’t won in 22 years.

In other news, Benik Afobe has secured a loan switch to Reading and Thierry Henry flew 5,000 miles to pay a visit to Fabrice Muamba in his hospital.

King Thierry Henry,

You Legend.

Sayonara.

You can follow Gooner Daily on Twitter  @goonerdaily. I’ll follow back

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