Why Salomon Rondon Is the West Brom Player Arsenal Must Shut Down
It was one of the most infamous World Cup qualifiers in recent memory, but what Argentina’s 6-1 defeat in Bolivia in 2009 has to do with Arsenal’s visit to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday isn’t immediately apparent.
Yet six-and-a-half years ago, that loss for a Diego Maradona-led side featuring Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Carlos Tevez and other household names was the moment that, for many, emphasised just how tough playing in the breathless altitude of La Paz is, and international managers adjusted accordingly.
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Venezuela boss Noel Sanvicente is one such manager, and so he left star striker Salomon Rondon out of his squad for a recent World Cup qualifier in Bolivia, resting him for Tuesday’s clash with Ecuador in the friendlier home climate of Puerto Ordaz. Do you see where we’re going with this now?
The rested Rondon played 90 minutes against the Ecuadorians on Tuesday, and although he was part of a side that suffered a 3-1 defeat, he’ll head back to West Bromwich with a lot more air in his lungs than he would have had he played in La Paz.
And that air will be crucial as the Baggies seek to derail an Arsenal train that was running pretty smoothly before the international break.
Tony Pulis’ side might not be the most free-flowing in the division—which is unsurprising given their manager—but in the club-record £12 million capture of Rondon from Zenit Saint Petersburg in the summer, they brought in a forward with the tools to upset plenty of Premier League defenders.
A physical presence, Rondon has scored goals against three Cities—Stoke, Norwich and Leicester—in his 11-game Premier League career so far, and he’ll be a player Arsene Wenger will be somewhat wary of as he takes his Gunners from England’s capital city to the West Midlands.
Boasting a record of scoring a goal pretty much every other game for Zenit and previous club Rubin Kazan, Rondon would have arrived in the English Premier League knowing it was going to be much tougher than its Russian equivalent.
Despite that, he has quietly impressed the fans at the Hawthorns so far, with his form keeping fellow summer signing Rickie Lambert on the bench.
Of course, because of the simple fact he is the Arsenal manager and that he’s looking down on 18 of the other 19 clubs in the Premier League right now, Wenger will approach the game with more of an emphasis on the damage his side can do to the hosts rather than the other way round, but Rondon will have been a discussion topic around London Colney recently.
He is more than just the conventional “big man” up front, and if he's selected, centre-backs Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker are going to have to be wary of his movement both into and within the penalty area.
Pulis will likely to look to set up his team in the same manner he often did with his Stoke outfits when they took on the Gunners, meaning the emphasis will be on Rondon to make himself as much of a nuisance as possible in the middle.
Support will come from Saido Berahino, Stephane Sessegnon and James McClean—or perhaps just two of the three if Pulis wants to bolster midfield—but with the Irishman McClean particularly impressive down the left in recent weeks, the combination of him and Rondon will be key.
Throw in the fact there is an uncertainty over Arsenal’s right-back position given Hector Bellerin’s recent injury, and you’ve got the route Pulis will be looking to take—a route that was mapped out when McClean crossed for Rondon to head the winner in a match at Norwich City in October.
The Venezuelan may represent the big danger, but Wenger and Arsenal will still believe they are going to win the game comfortably.
They might just wish Rondon had played in Bolivia, though, and that he hadn’t saved his breath for this one.
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