New season, old woes
One game in and Arsene Wenger immediately found himself on the back foot, forced to mount a rearguard defence of his approach to the economics of squad building in the face of a rising tide of protest supported by the now obligatory viral online fan-rant.
It was the more old-fashioned, inescapable protest that rolled down from the stands following Antonio Luna’s breakaway goal five minutes from time will have struck more tellingly at the beleaguered manager and his supportive board. The message was clear following a summer when the only new arrival was Yaya Sanogo, a raw young striker, despite the club’s healthy balance sheet: spend some money.
Too early to declare a crisis? Of course, particularly, as Wenger was quick to point out, this group of players ended last season with an impressive unbeaten run to secure fourth place. But should Wenger’s side lose heavily to Fenerbahce in the first leg of the Champions League qualifying round in Istanbul on Wednesday, the efforts of last season could be wasted and the mood darken further. As Wenger himself admitted, Arsenal’s season could hinge on how his side reacts to the weekend defeat.
It doesn’t help that Saturday’s defeat came at the cost of further injuries, including a worrying knee problem for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and a neck injury to Bacary Sagna, while Laurent Koscielny faces a one-game domestic ban after collecting two yellow cards. “Sagna’s is bad, yes. He has a good chance to be out for Wednesday,” said Wenger. “Chamberlain is definitely out. He has a knee problem. We don’t know how deep it is but it is a bad injury.”
Add with the untimely loss of Mikel Arteta and knocks to Tomas Rosicky, Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Wilshere, the trip to Turkey suddenly looks much more daunting than it did a week ago. So too does Wenger’s failure to strengthen.
“We have already given the list for the Champions League already so we have to play with the players we have,” said Wenger, pointing out there are no quick-fixes available before Wednesday. “You can go up the Eiffel Tower and throw the money away but you play with the players you have.
“What is important is to rebuild the confidence of the team before Wednesday night. That’s a massive game for us. In the next two or three days I will focus on that and let people around me work on the rest.”
That highlights why Saturday’s experience was so concerning for the manager. Wenger admitted last week Gervinho’s Arsenal career came to an end because the player lacked the confidence to perform, especially at home, and is well aware that collective belief is a fragile thing. “There is always a lot of dangers in a team because it is a human activity multiplied by 25,” he said.
“The negativity can become quick and spread quickly. And it’s the first game of the season and we want to bounce back. I believe our season will depend on how we respond to this defeat.”
The manner of defeat highlighted flaws in Wenger’s side, particularly at the back where the defence was repeatedly exposed by the pace of Christain Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor while keeper Wojciech Szczesny was, again, erratic.
Two Benteke penalties — both won by Agbonlahor — helped the visitors overturn Olivier Giroud’s sixth-minute opener while Luna’s late goal added to the home pain.
It was a deserved victory and one that helped Paul Lambert and his players draw a line under last season’s relegation battle. The mood at Villa Park is now one of optimism with Benteke showing why Paul Lambert fought so hard to keep him and Agbonlahor confirming his brief international career may yet be revived.
“I just remember Gaby, he was outstanding when he made his mark in that year under Martin O’Neill,” said Lambert. “I don’t what happened in the couple of years after that but it was just a matter of trying to pick him up and get him going and from the last four or five months of last season, he has been outstanding.
“If he plays like that and keeps that form, I don’t see how he won’t be back in contention for England. That was just a fabulous performance, once he gets a run at you, nobody can live with him.”
ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Szczesny 4; Sagna 6 (Podolski 90), Mertesacker 4, Koscielny 4, Gibbs 6 (Jenkinson 28, 6); Ramsey 6, Wilshere 7; Rosicky 5, Walcott 5, Oxlade-Chamberlain 6 (Cazorla 46, 6); Giroud 6.
Subs not used: Fabianski, Sanogo, Frimpong, Gnabry.
ASTON VILLA (4-5-1): Guzan 8; Lowton 6, Vlaar 6, Baker 6 (Clark 18, 6), Luna 7; Weimann 6 (Bacuna 85,6), El Ahmadi 7, Westwood 7, Delph 8, Agbonlahor 9; Benteke 8.
Subs not used: Okore, Bacuna, Helenius, Steer, Bowery, Tonev.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire) 5.
