The North London derby is rarely without drama, the drama tonight was unpredictable in the extreme. Although the game was slow initially, an unprecedented two goals from Mathieu Flamini was enough for Arsenal to progress in the competition. Here’s a look at five lessons we learned from the game:
Five Lessons Learned From Arsenal’s Victory Over Tottenham
1. The League Cup is the ideal competition to rotate the squad, not the Champions League – Rotation is without doubt most welcome in the League Cup. The North London derby cannot be undervalued in any competition, but, in the League Cup, Wenger has always utilised the squad well to distribute the much-needed game time amongst players. The criticism rotating the squad received in the game against Dinamo Zagreb meant that this decision had a more pronounced risk to it than it usually would. Fortunately for Arsenal, several players desperate for a first team place, and a chance to show their worth were capable of putting in relatively strong performances – most noticeable on the night were perhaps Kieran Gibbs, and of course, Mathieu Flamini.
2. Debuchy needs to be wary of runners – Debuchy will have been desperate for a chance tonight but unfortunately he encountered some major problems with Danny Rose in the first half. A little more assistance from Campbell would have been welcome (and indeed appeared later on in the game), but ultimately when a left back makes clear attacking runs the opposing right back has to take the majority of the responsibility. Tonight Debuchy’s mistakes in the first half weren’t costly to the team, on other nights they may be. Importantly, the second half showing was much more convincing form. With Arsenal looking to hold out, after an unlikely Flamini volley put them ahead, Debuchy proved sturdy and was vital in keeping the fragile lead Arsenal had. It’s always encouraging to see a player consciously acting on their errors and Debuchy amended his game well tonight.
3. Giroud is clearly lacking confidence – It’s unsurprising that Olivier Giroud was ineffective in the game. The pressure surrounding him is immense, particularly after his sending off in the Champions League. He managed to find the positions on occasion, but to no avail. The criticism he has received from Arsenal fans has been harsh; the real challenge for him now is to rise above it. This will certainly be no easy task. Wenger seems to be rotating between Giroud and Walcott, so it is likely that game time will be something of an inevitability to him, something that can’t be guaranteed for the entirety of the squad that faced Spurs. It is vital that he uses it well to prove his worth yet again to the fans. Confidence will undoubtedly allow Giroud to be back at his best, something Arsenal desperately need.
4. Calum Chambers will need time to learn from his mistakes – The biggest question is perhaps how much time can realistically be given? Without much unwanted defensive injuries it’s unlikely Chambers will see significant first team football in the league. Therefore when chances do arise for him, similarly to Giroud, it’s of paramount importance he seizes them. At 20 years old the expectations have been set high, which is no surprise playing at the top level of the top flight. Chambers created a window of opportunity for Tottenham in the game and then eventually (and rather cruelly) managed to divert the ball into his own net. After a shaky performance against Liverpool earlier in the season, scrutiny will remain of his performances in an Arsenal shirt. Chambers still has the potential to be an extremely useful asset to Arsenal but one thing is clear – improvements have to come.
5. Arsenal have finally found a new goal scorer… Well, sort of – Scepticism greeted the selection of Mathieu Flamini in an ever important derby game. His performance reminded Arsenal fans of the glorious and somewhat delirious praise he received after his rearrival at the club in 2013. This praise was short lived. Flamini had as much of a point to prove as anyone going into the game, but nobody expected to him to prove this point by scoring not once, but twice. When you consider how well the second goal was taken, it’s hard to look past Flamini for an unlikely man of the match performance. The first goal was equally bizarre, with Flamini following up in territory only usually the out and out striker would dare venture. With the criticism he has had now comes the credit he has deserved from the performance he gave tonight. Arsenal have lacked goals so far this season, and of course Flamini isn’t going to be the new goal machine for the duration of the season. However, for one evening it was entertaining to see him enjoying himself as Arsenal’s main goal threat.
Overall it was a significant win for Arsenal to cap off a difficult week. The Champions League and Premier League defeats will have hurt the Gunners, a most pleasurable form of redemption has been found tonight though. Arsenal and Arsene Wenger will now look to go as far as possible in the tournament. To go all the way in the League Cup would be something Wenger has never achieved, and this may act as extra motivation if Arsenal progress to the latter rounds of the tournament. Arsenal’s next opponents in the competition will be Sheffield Wednesday away from home.
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