Was that Arsenal's Best XI?

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
15 Sep	7:45 PM	CL	Sc Braga (H)	6	0	Win

I couldn't really tell you if Braga had good players or bad players. In 90 minutes of them being torn apart by Arsenal none of them really did anything wrong. In fact, in the play of Alan and Matheus they did quite a few things right – nice movement, good graft.

As individuals they didn't do much wrong. Collectively though, they broke the golden rule and let us play. Gave us space. Let Fabregas and Arshavin and Nasri do their snake-charmers dance 40 yards out and then got stung mercilessly for it.

It was great to watch, full of beautiful moments and beautiful goals. We've been here before of course – many times. But it made me wonder: was the team we were seeing better balanced, better set as a unit than last season? Was this the Best XI?

We might reasonably expect that Vermaelen and van Persie would come back into a fully fit side. Rosicky and Walcott have both made strong claims at the start of this season. Diaby might expect to displace Jack Wilshere. Yet of those five, only Vermaelen perhaps has the real right to come back. He is the rock on which our defence is based – but I can't immediately choose between Squillacci and Koscielny as his partner.

Squillacci looks the definition of a solid unremarkable defender. Unflashy, unassuming and unflappable. The kind of defender we've rarely invested in! Koscielny, making a big leap up in quality, has been excellent – he's got a little bit of Cannavaro in his busy, hustly style and his comfort on the ball.

Chamakh i've already praised enough this week, but he was brilliant again against Braga. The front five are clearly finding him easy to play with, and he's filling holes and scoring goals in equal measure. Right now I'd put him ahead of Robin. Robin can do a lot of things technically he'll never be able to dream of. But in a period where the team play is working wonders for us, he's a key asset.

Who makes up the third of the front three between Rosicky, Walcott and Nasri is just a nice problem to have. Walcott's had the goals, Rosicky the performances, and Nasri the intelligent elegance tonight that makes him so exciting. Keeping all of them fit simultaneously is, we should expect, impossible, so we probably don't have to choose here ... just play whichever of them isn't keeping the physio's table warm.

Wilshere's coming into the team is the most interesting feature of what we've seen in the first month of this season. As an English fan there's a sentimental pull to seeing him play. But excitingly, tonight his role and purpose in the team felt obvious. Played deep he's there to be the Iniesta to Cesc's Xavi – and his smart, committed style is giving our passing game a broader sense of cohesion it's rarely had with Diaby in the team. Wenger's tried to have another passer, be it Nasri or Rosicky or Ramsey alongside Cesc and Song in midfield before. It's never quite worked. Nasri and Rosicky aren't strong enough for the engine room in the English game, and Ramsey feels too much like Cesc to partner him. Wilshere though, who throws himself into tackles, and grafts exactly as much as he crafts seems like the ideal foil to Cesc. Of all the players pushing themselves forward in this early part of the season, he's the one developing our style the most. It's incredibly exciting watching him grow.

So, a great night, and a great performance, and a group of players making strong claims for long-term starting berths. You can't ask for more in the warm nights of September.

User Comments

User Comments

• Got something to say?
• Read comments

Vs chelsea