Amongst the more obvious positives Arsenal can take from an important win away in Europe this week, the final flourish completed by Aaron Ramsey in second half injury-time might provide the basis for continued improvement in attack. Wenger can take pleasure in a healthy lead at the summit of Group F, a surprisingly solid defensive display from Mertesacker and Koscielny, battling midfield performances by Rosicky and Arteta and an overall unified exhibition – perhaps the first of the campaign so far.
“I feel the team has a good basis because the players are intelligent, they have a desire to do well and you can see the unity in the group is there. We have good ingredients but let’s continue to be humble and have the desire to grow as a team,” assessed the Frenchman. But perhaps the most encouraging sign was delivered by late substitute, Ramsey, who far too frequently gets in to positions to create chances or convert them like he did on Wednesday.
The departure of Cesc Fabregas damaged the squad in multifarious ways, but one of the Spaniard’s principal strengths lies in his ability to get things moving and to join the attack in a manner that Ramsey has too often avoided. The staple image of an Arsenal attack this season has been of an isolated Robin van Persie, holding the ball up for an exhausting amount of time, waiting in vein for his team-mates to support. Gone are the days of free-flowing counter-attacks, most prominently demonstrated in the 7-0 demolition of Slavia Prague four years ago.
His performances may have been criticised across the board this year, but Ramsey is still finding his form following a traumatising year on the sidelines recovering from a leg-break, and the Welsh captain still retains the potential that saw the Gunners fight off interest from Chelsea and Manchester United to secure his signature in 2008. His goal against Spurs in the recent 2-1 defeat was perhaps a fleeting example of his capacity to perform this role and hopefully securing such an important three points for his club in Marseilles will convince the 20 year-old that he needs to do this more.
At the very least we can always rely on the combative and dependable Alex Song for defensive cover, especially when the back-four fails to live up to a performance like Wednesday’s, so Ramsey should make it his duty to forcefully drive forward when Arsenal are in possession. Fabregas’ boots are without doubt too big for Ramsey to fill, however long he remains at the Emirates, but his technical quality is being wasted as he drifts seamlessly out of games. It’s a considerable responsibility to take on, especially on top of his recent appointment as skipper for his country, but the club’s attacking threat may depend on Ramsey propensity to provide more of the same.