Three things we learned from Arsenal’s thrashing of Lyon
Arsenal cruised to a 6-0 demolition of Lyon in their opening match of this summer’s Emirates Cup, and go into tomorrow’s match with Wolfsburg in good position to lift the crown. The lads looked really up for it this evening, ripping Lyon apart with crisp and incisive passing. Arsenal pressed high up the pitch, winning the ball quickly and putting the French club to the sword. It was 4-0 by halftime and the Ligue 1 outfit were well and truly gunned down.
Much like the impressive showings in Singapore last week, Arsenal are showing they are focused and geared up for the upcoming season. Again, we won’t get carried away by preseason matches, but it is always good to get into winning habits right from the get go. Arsenal have certainly done that, and the excitement and optimism among gooners will start to rise. Have a look at three things we learned from today’s comprehensive victory over Lyon.
Gunning for success
Arsenal mean business. The match today showed that a focused and determined Arsenal are a force to be reckoned with. All day the lads were incisive, dynamic, ruthless, and clinical, and Lyon really couldn’t live us. The French club is no pushover either (as hard as that may be to believe at the moment), having pushed PSG all the way for the Ligue 1 trophy last season and earned entry back into the Champion League. This is not any old rag tag XI that Arsenal brushed aside, and it is another demonstration of Arsenal’s war path at the moment. Wenger’s army is treating every match is if points are on the line, and it is absolutely brilliant to watch. Giroud rose high to give Arsenal the lead from a set piece in the 29th, and the lead was tripled in the span of a minute with two lightning quick counter attacks in the 34th and 35th. Flawless execution on both, winning the ball quickly, connecting passes, and springing players into space. The combination play was fabulous all game, as Ozil and Ramey linked up for the fourth, while the former thumped home a fifth before substitute Santi Cazorla dispatched a cheeky free kick under the wall for the sixth and final.
Iwobi is the real deal
Fantastic goal from young winger Alex Iwobi today, with the 19 year old finishing off a tantalizing move from Arsenal. He was on the end of a lightning quick counter attack, dispatching his left footed effort beyond Lopes in the Lyon goal after Ramsey picked him out brilliantly. He nearly had a second as well, finishing from a Giroud lay off, but he was just judged offside. The nephew of the legendary Jay Jay Okocha, Iwobi impressed last season in the U21 side, earning a call up to the first team for Arsenal’s trip to Singapore. He impressed again in the southern Asian nation and got another shot today as Wenger named him in the XI. He showed terrific pace and movement all game, making him a real threat down the left flank, and I think the boss may have seen enough to keep him for the Capital One campaign perhaps.
Ramsey for centre mid
Aaron was absolutely superb today, man of the match for me. He personally had a hand in four of the six Arsenal goals, scoring one and assisting one while contributing greatly to two others. It was his twinkle toes in midfield that started the attack for the second goal, spinning skillfully away from two defenders before finding Giroud who sprung Oxlade-Chamberlain to send his low drive into the corner. Just a minute later he picked out Iwobi after another Arsenal counter for the young winger to score his first goal for the first team, this before he got in on the action himself adding the fifth after some good combination with Ozil down the left. He sprang Mesut with an excellent ball down the left, but didn’t sit and admire his work instead charging into the box to receive the return pass which he tucked away off the inside of the post. He has started the match in his favourite centre midfield role and certainly made a strong case for a permanent move back. Great engine box to box, and brilliant vision and creativity in attack, Rambo was amazing today.