With Alexis Sanchez absent from the starting line-up for the
season opener against West Ham, Arsenal seemed to struggle to find their feet
despite a promising pre-season. Fans would have been filled with hope after
their Community Shield victory against Chelsea, but may have been left unsure
after the opening game as the Gunners disappointed in a 2-0 opening day loss.
Olivier Giroud struggled throughout the game and Wenger could well go back into
the transfer market to look for a new striker to lead the attack. Talk of Karim
Benzema arriving has simmered down to mere whispers which may upset the Arsenal
faithful. Petr Cech’s competitive debut was less than convincing, however I’m
sure it was simply a blip in form and he will prove his worth in the upcoming
fixtures. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was possibly the Gunners’ only bright spark
during the game, however Sanchez’s return following his rest after the Copa
America saw him return to the bench for the match against Crystal Palace.
Giroud’s scissor kick put Arsenal ahead at Selhurst Park on
Sunday and a Damien Delaney own goal secured the victory in the second half.
The Crystal Palace attack tormented Arsenal’s defence throughout, however after
a vast improvement on the previous match the Gunners clung on to a 2-1 victory.
Mesut Özil stood out massively during the game, with a 97.9% pass completion
rate, inclusive of the assist to Giroud’s spectacular opener.
Looking forward, I’d expect to see Arsenal bounce back to
form, however with a tough fixture against a buoyant Liverpool side up next
they’ll need to do this swiftly. With heaped expectation on them this season a
win would be the only acceptable outcome at the Emirates on Monday.
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