We’ve done it the hard way, but we’re in the Champions League! Falling behind so early in the game was a good test for the team’s mentality and they did very well. We had a young side out there and the character and determination they showed in the second half was outstanding. It was by far our best performance in the season so far and hopefully it’s a sign of things getting better. I’ll start with some of the positives.
- Tomas Rosicky: Outstanding. Came on at half time and changed the game completely. Arsene said the team lacked a bit of creativity in the first half and Rosicky played brilliantly. It was a glimpse of what the Czech was before his injury and hopefully we’ll see more of the same from him. We’ll need creative players in the lack of Cesc and Nasri, and if Rosicky can keep this level of his game then he’ll be a big part of our campaign.
- Carl Jenkinson: What a game for the young Arsenal fan. When you imagine that just a few months ago he was playing League 1 football and he was watching some Arsenal games from the stands, as every other normal fan, and compare that to him being a starter in a Champions League game for his favourite club, that’s a massive achievement for him. And he played very well. He looked a bit nervous in the first few games, maybe that was still down to the excitement of playing for the club, but last night he was superb. Let’s hope that’s no longer a factor and he’ll keep impressing with his performances.
- Wojciech Szczesny: Brilliant, as usual. He’s really getting a grip on that No. 1 spot and I think Arsenal fans all over the world can be happy with the goalkeeper’s position now. The penalty save was a turning point, and what a save it was. Let no one fool you, this was a good penalty from Di Natale. He got just one hand on it but that was enough to keep the score level. We’ve got a quality goalkeeper in the young Pole and let’s just hope he’ll stay at the club for a long, long time.
- Gervinho: The other new signing did a great job as well. He was always dangerous regardless of where he played and I think he’s been a good buy for Arsenal so far. He had a few shots at goal which didn’t really threaten that much, but his overall movement and dribbling caused Udinese a lot of problems. He also provided the vital pass for Van Persie’s goal which got us back in the game and that moment was the other turning point in the game, apart from the penalty later. It’s a real shame that he lost his nerves at Newcastle and we couldn’t use him against Liverpool and won’t be able to use him on Sunday either.
There were plenty more, Thomas Vermaelen was dominant and had a fantastic game, let’s just hope he’s not injured and will be ready for United on Sunday. We’ll need him.
Bacary Sagna had another good performance at left back and it’s nice to see that he plays well in both positions.
Theo Walcott was dangerous and his finish for the second goal was exquisite. He exchanged a couple of passes with Bacary Sagna and Theo’s pace was the decisive factor. The Udinese defenders had no chance of catching him and he had a cool head right when it mattered most. Game over.
Aaron Ramsey did okay as well. I think he excels when he’s got a more creative player around him. Aaron isn’t a real playmaker for me. He needs someone like Wilshere or Rosicky around him to shine. You could see that right from the moment when Tomas came on, Aaron started to play better. And I don’t think that’s a coincidence. That’s why he formed such a good partnership with Jack Wilshere in pre-season.
All that said, our first half wasn’t one to remember. Yes, we had a few chances and we started brightly, but after that we gave a lot of chances to Udinese. Di Natale was their most dangerous player again and our defense looked shaky. Johan Djourou didn’t have his best game in an Arsenal shirt and it was his mistake that led to the goal. Di Natale was left unmarked and his finish was perfect. He also hit the post at one stage and overall Udinese looked more dangerous in the first 45 minutes. Whatever happened at half time certainly changed the attitude of the lads and the way they were playing. Let’s hope that the defensive issues from the first half last night were just a one-off and they won’t be repeated against United. Because the champions aren’t going to be as generous as the Italians.
We shouldn’t focus on the negatives, though. During the second half there was only one team out there, and that was Arsenal. We finally started to see bits and pieces of our fluid passing game and we can only improve. We’re not at our best yet, but we’re getting closer. We still need a couple of additions, but I’ll leave that for another day. Today we’re in the Champions League draw and that’s all that matters.
Till Saturday.
