Match Preview: Arsenal v Sunderland; Working through the Pain
“If I laugh at any moral thing ‘tis that I may not weep.” – Lord Byron
I think of this quote often when Arsenal go through their inevitable moments of disaster. The poor performance against West Brom, the injury-laden performance against Norwich, and in the League Cup. I just smile and nod and laugh and make sure I don’t cry.
What’s even worse, though, is the hand-wrenching, arm-chair managing that engulfs all outlets after those moments. As Arsenal supporters we are beyond a doubt the best at immolating ourselves and our club over performances. We look at everything so myopically, and our emotions such as they are rule the day.
It’s why I look forward to matches, even the ones I dread watching because at least for that 90 minutes all you can focus on is what is happening at that time. It’s with the same eye that I look towards this match against Sunderland.
Overlooking Sam Allardyce’s charges would be a big mistake by us as fans and by the team in general. While they haven’t been hitting altogether this season, Allardyce has turned them into a typical Allardyce side and given them some solidity.
Showing his “sophisticated” mindset, Big Sam has gotten 3 clean sheets out of the utilization of 3 CB in a 3-5-2 system. However, against harder opposition that 3-5-2 reverts to a 5-3-2 with the two wingbacks dropping deep alongside the trio of central defenders.
That means Arsenal, as they have seen consistently this season, will meet a team who will sit back deep and try and hit Arsenal on the counter. The problem for Arsenal has been then passing around the outside with not a lot of runs happening to try and open gaps.
That has got to stop. If Sunderland sit back the two outside wingers – likely Campbell and Chamberlain — have to look to run from the outside and/or Giroud has to look to open space by making runs to attract defenders to him and possibly open gaps between the midfield and central defenders. That’s the only way I can see us being successful against a team like Sunderland who will invite Arsenal to have the ball.
The problem for Sunderland, specifically, in a formation using a back 3 is that should they go forward on the counter and lose the ball there are usually a gaps that easily appear either in the middle as the CBs look to cover the space vacated by the wingbacks or out wide as the CBs stay compact.
The question for Arsenal isn’t so much whether they can be patient and exploit the opportunities but are the players who will slot in for injured starters capable enough to fill in.
Seems like an odd thing to say when you expect Aaron Ramsey to slot in the central midfielder role for Santi Cazorla. Aaron Ramsey is an amazingly gifted player, but Santi Cazorla will likely be a bigger miss for us than Alexis Sanchez.
Santi’s ability to bring the ball from deep and carry it forward in transition is essential to Arsenal, especially when under pressure. He has the ability to shift the ball from one foot to another and evade pressure thus insuring Arsenal can mount a counter-attack or prevent the opposition from gaining the ball in dangerous areas.
Admittedly, Santi hasn’t looked all that great recently, but I think that was more to overuse than any real diminishing talent level. Had the likes of Wilshere been healthy, you could see a case for rotation, giving the diminutive Spaniard well needed rest. But because his back up was out, Santi played more, and it clearly had an effect leading up to his injury. Santi is a player that will sorely be missed.
But as Wenger says, as frustrating as this is, it is an opportunity that Aaron Ramsey must take a “run with.” Aaron Ramsey is no slouch, and his performance in the team is one of the reasons why Arsenal remain in the hunt for the title.
He now gets to play from his more favored position on the pitch and see more of the ball. Can he be the maestro that Santi is? That may be asking too much. He needs to be the Ramsey of two seasons ago who when tucked in the middle was making runs that confounded the opposition and saw him score a plethora of goals.
While it may be hard to draw a parallel between Coquelin grabbing his brass ring and Ramsey doing the same thing – it is exactly what Ramsey has to do.
Arsenal need to stay within a sniff of the title pack while these injuries heal. Aaron Ramsey is going to have to play a huge role in that, and he can say a lot about it – by laying the ground work against Sunderland.
From the Manager:
“We have gone through a little bit of a bad spell in recent games, but we are two points off the top,” he told Arsenal Player. “The great opportunity for us is that, despite that bad spell, we are very close.
“That’s why it’s important that we keep our confidence and our determination very high, and start winning again.
“It’s always a disappointment to lose players at an important moment of the season. But on the other hand, it’s a great challenge for the team and a great opportunity to show that we are ready for a fight and can deal with it.”
Players to Watch:
Arsenal. Aaron Ramsey. We just told you why.
Sunderland. Yann M’Vila. You remember, don’t you? Well at least he is finally playing at the Emirates. Seems to have matured and has been effective in the DM role for Sunderland.
Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal: Arteta (calf), Sánchez (hamstring), Wilshere (leg), Rosicky (knee), Welbeck (knee), Coquelin (knee), Cazorla (knee)
Sunderland: Defoe (hamstring), Larsson (knee)
Proposed Lineups:
Click to enlarge
Match Officials:
Referee: Robert Madley (M10, Y31, R2)
Assistant Referees: M Perry, P Kirkup
Fourth Official: J Simpson
Broadcast Information:
UK: BBC MOTD 1 (highlights)
US: USA Network 10:00 AM EST
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal 1 – 0 Sunderland
Match Facts: (Courtesy FourFourTwo.com via Opta Sports)
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 11 top-flight clashes with Sunderland (W7 D4) and have suffered defeat in just one of the last 23 versus them.
- Sunderland have now won as many league games in six games under Sam Allardyce as they had in 17 matches under Dick Advocaat (3).
- Allardyce has lost seven successive Premier League games against Arsenal and hasn’t beaten the Gunners in the competition since May 2010 (Blackburn 2-1 Arsenal).
- On home soil, the Gunners are yet to lose to the Black Cats in the Premier League (W9 D5), although four of the last seven top-flight meetings at the Emirates have ended 0-0.
- Indeed, that total of four home goalless draws is the most by Arsenal against any opponent in the Gunners’ Premier League history.
- French striker Olivier Giroud has had a hand in five goals in his five Premier League appearances against Sunderland (three goals, two assists).
- Mesut Ozil and Santiago Cazorla have exchanged passes 339 times this season in the top-flight, 40 more than any other combination between two players.
- Ozil has had a hand in 13 goals in his last 12 Premier League appearances (two goals, 11 assists).
- The Gunners have now gone three games without a Premier League win (D2 L1) – they last went four games without tasting victory last April.
- Sunderland ‘keeper Costel Pantillimon has made a league-high 59 saves this season in the Premier League.
