So expectedly we did the business against the Minnows last night...4-0 it ended and i'll be the first to say the result was a little flattering for us as the League one Club gave a good account of themselves.Yes they were lacking the Killer instincts required to punish Arsenal on the day but what they lacked in terms of ruthlessness they compensated with a good dose of bravery and positive approach to the game. First half Goals from Lukas ''aha'' Podolski (2) and one each from Cazorla and Giroud in the second half was enough to ensure our passage into the 5th round. Honorable mention goes to Gnabry, Podolski and Mesut Ozil for eye catching performances...On Twitter someone mentioned his observation that the starting lineup didn't have a recognized Defensive Midfielder. I felt at first a bit of panic in the light of that because the last time we ventured into a game without a recognized DM we got bashed 1-3 by Villa at the Emirates. But eventually, there wasn't much to worry about as Jack and Oxlade chamberlain were disciplined in their Dual-defensive role efforts. Coventry were good value for their 4th round presence in the FA cup and didn't roll over in any way to the hot favorites, however in the end it proved a mountain to tall for them to scale through.
Other observations on the Night.
- The pace of our movement in attack especially in the first half was great to watch. It appears the directness of Gnabry and OX was the reason for this. They possess the confidence in possession to run at the heart of defenses and lay off good one-two's. I know against better teams they would be denied that space but still its a great reassurance to me that we can switch from the sometimes predictable short passes around the box to a more direct use of runs at the opponents to scare the shit out of their back-line and force errors.
- Fabianski needs games and needs them fast. He looked hella rusty last night but luckily didn't commit any of the howlers that would have kick started the plethora of harsh ''Flappyhanski'' comments allover again. Im sure he knows he's nowhere close to unseating Szczesny as our number one so definitely his days at the club are numbered if his career is to move forward. He would've watched Vito Mannone in action on Tuesday for Sunderland and probably come to terms that he has to do the same..
- Podolski is quite a decent player Ok im a huge fan of ''guy smiley'' Podolski not only because of his like-able personality off the pitch but also the little things he does on the pitch. He has a great understanding/match reading ability and knows how to finish. although it has to be said he suffers a kind of ''Deer in the headlights'' syndrome when played alone centrally as the top striker, no thanks to his lack of Holdup-play and poor positioning. I feel when he has the benefit of someone else like Giroud/Bendtner to worry about all that Holdup play stress, he becomes a different player. I read somewhere that it may have been that Wenger bought him because he felt Podolski could play centrally only to find out he can't and is dissapointed. But one thing Poldi gives you is a great ''chance/Goal scored'' ratio. He knows how to find the net and i would want him to make it hard for the manager to drop him by making sure he keeps banging them in and showing a bit of defensive nous like he did last night.
- Ozil showed us we haven't seen anything yet. His overall performance last night was as good as iv seen since he joined. The guy was everywhere and his close control and dribbling kept the Coventry defenders guessing his next turn. His ball to Podolski showed a clear understanding of his country man's game and i felt he (Ozil) deserved a goal himself. I loved the way he combined with the Ox. The young English man's constant running was being lapped up by Ozil as he kept finding him with great balls. Ozil loves runners ahead of him as it makes his job easier than when everything around him is static. He can only get even better and if you ask me, not a second too soon as big big games approach.
- Olivier coming in as a substitute seems interesting. You may disagree with me saying this but it looks like when Giroud comes into a game, he has a certain different ruthlessness about him as opposed to when he starts. Its difficult to explain and it may seem like nonsense but id' like to see us surprise opponents every now and then by starting Bendtner in some games and then later bringing on Giroud later. I have a feeling it will unsettle the opposing defense to cope with a fresh Giroud in the course of a game, who provides a different skillset to Bendtner. Last night his finish was emphatic and clinical. There was no trying to flick the ball inside the box to play in a teammate, just a good old fashioned whack!
- Please no more Friday kickoffs! Seeing the game for me was Hell as i had to negotiate traffic to meet up with kickoff from the Island. I ended up not seeing Poldi's first goal real time and i hate missing the spontaneity of watching key moments in a game live as opposed to watching them on highlights. The scheduling must have been tough also for those who went to the stadium from work (Kudos to the fans in London for filling up the stadium tho). So here's hoping we don't get to see more of this unhealthy kickoff time in future.
The squad named was strong and a clear indication the boss isn't going to allow any complacency creep into our game. Winning is a habit and as long as we keep up this run of games now without a loss, Our confidence can only get stronger. Its Southampton on Tuesday and that will not be an easy game. Ramsey and Arteta will be back hopefully for that to boost the squad options. The 5th round draw is tomorrow so here's hoping we get another Minnow to slaughter in our quest to Wembley.
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