Arsenal vs. Marseille: 6 Things We Learned from Champions League Clash
Arsenal took a massive step toward qualifying for the knockout round of the Champions League by dispatching of Marseille 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners got the hard part done after 30 seconds, as it turned out.
Jack Wilshere raced down the right wing a la Theo Walcott to latch on to a long pass and cut inside a la Arjen Robben to get the ball on his left foot and curl a beauty into the top corner.
Arsenal were firmly in control for the remainder of the match, and Wilshere's second in the 65th minute made up for Mesut Ozil's missed penalty during the first half. With the win, only a catastrophe in Naples will prevent Arsenal from advancing.
Let's look at six things we learned from a very encouraging victory.
Arsenal Don't Need Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta
1 of 6
When Arsenal play with both Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta in the starting XI, their midfield is extremely difficult to breach.
But is it too defensively solid?
Arsene Wenger dropped Arteta after the Spaniard picked up a little knock against Southampton, and the Gunners were able to be much more positive and fluid than when two midfield positions are dedicated to shielding the defense.
Flamini provided Arsenal with just the right amount of muscle and defensive grit necessary to stop Marseille while allowing one more creative player to orchestrate the Gunners attack.
Arsenal's one holding midfielder does not have to be Flamini specifically, but the team plays at its attacking best when only one of Arteta or Flamini is used at once.
Mesut Ozil Is Honest
2 of 6
Arsenal's penalty was unfairly awarded; Marseille's foul on Aaron Ramsey was quite clearly outside the box.
So, sportsman that he is, Mesut Ozil decided to usurp Olivier Giroud, who is next in line to take penalties after Mikel Arteta, and gave Steve Mandanda a relatively easy save to make.
In all seriousness, though, Ozil seemed motivated by his failure to convert and delivered one of his best performances in an Arsenal shirt. He has still not yet hit the heights he did at Real Madrid, but perhaps his display against Marseille is a step in that direction.
For the rest of the match, Ozil was intimately involved in many of Arsenal's best passages of play, playing quick one-twos and distributing the ball extremely well.
He has not yet graduated to the Cesc Fabregas-style talisman, but that is merely one step up.
Arsenal Have the Most Depth at Left-Back in the Premier League
3 of 6
After Kieran Gibbs pulled out of the lineup due to illness (haven't an unusual number of Arsenal's players been getting sick this season?), Nacho Monreal was called in to replace him.
Backups are always required to be prepared to play in every match, for one never knows when one's opportunity will arise. Monreal certainly did not let himself slip.
Gibbs has been outstanding this season, but the Spaniard's phenomenal performance deserves an encore in one of Arsenal's next couple of games. He was absolutely everywhere on the left wing, ceaselessly bursting forward while retaining his typical defensive solidity.
No other team in England has better depth in this position than Arsenal.
Marseille's Left Flank Was a Gaping Hole
4 of 6
The picture on the left is very apropos of Jeremy Morel's day.
Marseille's left-back was nowhere to be found when Arsenal stormed down his flank for long stretches. It was no coincidence that Jack Wilshere's opening goal came after a pass down Morel's wing flayed Marseille's defense.
The vast majority of Arsenal's attacks during the first half followed Wilshere's pattern: Knock the ball over the left side of Marseille's defense or slip a man through in the same area.
Good for the Gunners for seeing Marseille's weakness, but Morel needs to sort himself out.
Wojciech Szczesny Came Up Big Again
5 of 6
As I have said all season, Wojciech Szczesny is rapidly maturing into the most assured, confident, consistent, talented and mature goalkeeper in the Premier League.
He might be able to take Arsenal quite far in Europe, as well.
Once again, the Pole was faultless in goal, commanding his penalty box with aplomb and making every save he was forced into. This particular stop was outstanding.
Szczesny has legitimate competition now, and it seems to be spurring him to extremely fine performances.
Jack Wilshere Is a Good Fit on the Right Wing
6 of 6
Several games back, Arsene Wenger tried to fit Jack Wilshere on the left wing, and the move was a monumental failure. Then, a few weeks ago, Wenger shifted him to the right against Norwich, and the result was a talismanic performance.
Due to a combination of Theo Walcott's lack of full fitness and Arsenal's surfeit of midfield talent, Wilshere was pushed out on the right flank and did his best Arjen Robben impression to slice inside and cause havoc in central midfield.
Wilshere's display gives Wenger a selection dilemma with Walcott returning to his prior sharpness, as the Englishman truly is a unique option on the right wing.
But Wilshere's man-of-the-match display in a contest that had several contenders nullifies any suggestions that he was a flash in the pan or that he will not overcome his ankle injuries.
