Arsenal vs. Marseille: Analyzing the First Half of the Champions League Match

Arsene Wenger had warned his Arsenal side to forget about the unforgettable 5-3 win against Chelsea over the weekend, perhaps fearing that there might be a let-down emotionally come Tuesday night against visiting Olympique de Marseille in the fourth Champions League group stage match.

If the first five minutes were any indication, Wenger's voice was once again a prophetic one.

Marseille bossed that portion of the match (all the way up to 10 minutes) with abandon, controlling possession and dominating the goal-scoring chances, of which Arsenal had few until around 15 minutes, when the tide finally started to turn.

There seemed to be a disproportionate number of traveling Marseille supporters in attendance at the Emirates, taking up two entire tribunes. They were boisterous from kickoff, which their side used to its advantage in putting Arsenal on the back foot to begin.

Thomas Vermaelen, who came on as a substitute against Chelsea—his second successive appearance for the club after missing nearly two months with an ankle injury—was preferred to Laurent Koscielny alongside Per Mertesacker in central defense.

It may have seemed a harsh decision, considering that Koscielny has been an assured presence at the back in recent weeks, and was immense on Saturday (whereas Mertesacker was liable on Chelsea's first goal), but to the German's credit, outside of one horrid pass that nearly launched Marseille on a break, he turned in a steady performance.

The only other change made to Saturday's side was Ju Young Park slotting in at center forward for Robin van Persie, who was rested—but still named to the substitute's bench. That meant the captain's armband on the night slid to Vermaelen.

Did Wenger's decision indicate he has an eye on the upcoming international window, when van Persie will rejoin the Dutch national team for a turn of friendlies?

Van Persie famously picked up a long-term knock while away with Holland back in Nov. 2009, so it may have been a well-timed cautionary measure by Wenger to give his star a well-deserved break. After all, with the Dutchman having scored seven goals in his last three appearances in an Arsenal shirt, it couldn't have been down to performance issues!

By the midway point of the first half, Arsenal had battled back and asserted their own singular brand of dominance on the proceedings, starving Marseille of possession, particularly in midfield. Theo Walcott fired wide after receiving the ball on the right wing, his dragged effort shooting a few feet wide of goal.

Aaron Ramsey very nearly sent his side up in the 23rd minute when Andre Santos sent a deliciously weighted ball across goal that the unmarked Welshman latched onto at the far post, only to send his volley rocketing over the crossbar.

Undeterred at the pendulum-esque swing of the match, Marseille's attacking quartet (the brothers Ayew and Andre Jordan, Mathieu Valbuena and Loic Remy) continued to put the Arsenal back four under pressure with their well-worked one-two passing movements—several of which nearly ended in sensational strikes from Ayew and Remy, respectively.

The visitors were often helpless to cope with the pace of Arsenal's wingers Theo Walcott and Gervinho, and when those two were on the ball and allowed space with which to bomb forward, they looked threatening.

Gervinho lashed Steve Mandanda's gloves with a searing drive on 29 minutes that the Marseille keeper could only parry into the path of Park, whose heavy touch unfortunately allowed the defense to cover and clear their lines.

Bill Leslie, the ITV color commentator presiding over the affair, made an excellent point as Santos labored back from yet another bombing run forward. While the Brazilian's penchant for attacking wing play is a boon in the Arsenal attack, it often leaves him gasping for air when defending.

For all his attacking industry against Chelsea on Saturday, it must be noted that he wasn't the best on the defensive end.

That being said, Santos does have an impressive ability to read attackers' body language and step in for well-timed tackles, something he once again did against Marseille.

Mikel Arteta sent a free kick wide of the right post just before halftime, constituting Arsenal's last clear goal-scoring effort.

The shake of Aaron Ramsey's head at the halftime whistle perhaps summed up the first 45 minutes best.

Ramsey's gilt-edged miss from point-blank was the most glaring during the first half, but it was an encouraging sign for the Gunners that they had managed a fair number of clear-cut chances against a Marseille side that is notoriously stingy during Champions League play.

Case in point—Ramsey's injury-time winner at the Stade Velodrome only 13 days prior was the first goal allowed by Marseille in Champions League group stage play. It is little wonder they currently sit second behind Arsenal.

If the Gunners do go on and snatch a victory Tuesday night, it will guarantee their passage through to the knockout stages—a thought that will not be lost on Wenger as he considers halftime adjustments.