Per Mertesacker says that yesterday’s game at the Etihad Stadium saw Arsenal demonstrate the unusual qualities of defending well and using past experience to avoid defeat.
The German spoke to Arsenal Player after the game, and praised the performance and the defensive solidity shown by a team which hasn’t always been that way.
“Every player was up for proper defending from front to back,” he said. “I think we have to praise the whole unit.
“We didn’t rush ourselves to do anything. We stayed calm over the whole 90 minutes and just dropped a bit deeper.
“It’s very unusual for us, but we learned, especially from last season. I would say it was a mature performance.
“We don’t have to talk too much – it was just one game, but it was a good response.”
Meanwhile, Aaron Ramsey has backed the rejuvenated Francis Coquelin to continue his excellent progress.
“It is funny how quickly things can change in football,” said the Welshman. “One week he was on loan at Charlton and then he comes back in and he has been in the team every week.
“He has done a very good job defensively for the team. He wins it back, keeps it simple and just keeps things ticking over.
“Hopefully he can build on his performances that he has been showing of late and he has got every chance of turning into a top defensive midfielder.”
It certainly was a per-fect defensive display with a great per-formance to boot from each player.
Keep them coming Blogs.
I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of being reminded about yesterday.
Exactly! This has been the most enjoyable Monday I’ve had since I don’t when.
Even if Coq is our new man, I think there’s still room for another signing, to be fair. In some games, we need 2 DMs (like Stoke where we played Flam and Coq) and we can’t play the same player every game. Our other two options in Flamini and Arteta are both over 30 and I think we can improve upon them. Flamini doesn’t always have the discipline and passing skill, and Arteta can be immense but his legs aren’t what they once were. Not everyone can be a Rosicky!
Beilik and Hayden to understudy coq and Arteta?
Beilik could be it, we’ll have to see how good he is
I was so distracted by that awesome win that I forgot we signed him!
Chambers anyone ?
People already forgot him and that Wenger said he was gonna end up playing DM ?
Fair point, I think everyone got so caught up in our defensive problems they forget he could be available for there when we get the numbers in at the back.
With coq’s current form. At least have time till the end of season to postpone buying a DM where we’ll find better players available. But we cannot risk doing the same for our CB situation. With the given resurgence of our team we cannot afford to lose the flow just because kos or mert gets injured and we have to become ‘creative’ with our back four.
BFC – BIG FUCKING CELEBRATION
We have a big fucking Geeeeeeerman!
I love how the players seem as pleasantly surprised as the rest of us haha
I’m genuinely shocked by Coquelin. How often does a 24-year old who wasn’t up to standard at the likes of Lorient and Freiburg suddenly becomes one of a big club’s most important players. He’s had 4/5 years of stagnation and now this? It’s like Bebe returning to Man U from an underwhelming loan spell and instantly turning them into a potent attacking force as a nailed-on starter – it just wouldn’t happen. Just hope that his form remains through the rest of season, we’re relying on him being a grower and not a shower. I’m still on the fence as… Read more »
Coquelin was never that bad. It was a case of him wanting/needing playing time; after his Lorient loan he played a couple of 25-game seasons which led to his Freiburg loan. I remember in the 8-2 game, he was actually doing a decent job at DM, and I think we were 3-1 down when Wenger gambled for the win by taking him off and putting on Arshavin. The gamble didn’t pay off but Coquelin remained a good player. Glad that it’s working out for him now, fingers crossed for him for a long and blood-and-thunder career at DM for us.
It’s almost like he’s matured through being sent out on loan (the playing time isn’t the only thing managers hope players pick up on loan) and been given a run of games rather than as and when. Also, he’s playing in his natural position rather than further up or at RB.
to be fair with francis , he has spent a lot of his arsenal carreer between injuries and loan spell to some clubs who were either in trouble (freiburg) or have a very special way of playing (lorient under christian gourcuff). but the kid ‘s got potential since day one (part of anunder 20 french talented team that got some silverware few years back with clement grenier and alexandre lacazette who is the new benzema…arsene should go after him he his the real deal) and from what i have seen this month and the very few odd cameos he had… Read more »
There was a reason he was loaned to a club like Charlton though, and wasn’t considered by fans or Wenger as a genuine alternative to Arteta/Flamini, despite their obvious weaknesses. I mean, I don’t remember a mass batting of eyelids when he was loaned out or calls for him to be given more game time here. He was seen as a once-promising player whose moment had long passed, his career was on a real low. I too thought he would make it 3/4 years ago and I remember a handful of impressive performances for Arsenal in the mean time, but… Read more »
your comment are right on. may be us as fans and even some managers , tend to ask too much to young players. i remember when back in the days , mostlyin the 80’s and 90’s when players use to blossom and reach their early promises at the age of 25-28 and reach maturity turn 30 and onwards. now if a player doesn’t make it at 20-24 , we tend to easily write him off. and for midfield players maturity is very important. even for wingers like ryo, and i still believe he can have a great career. may be… Read more »
Truth is we have not had some sort of extra magical Plan B game plan. We have been working on this all season but have been interrupted by instability in the back line through lack of a Cback. What Per is surprised by is we have finally gotten it right in execution. There has been nothing revolutionary last night in the way we played. We still have Giroud up top holding and he did an excellent job. We still have a mobile 3 just behind with Santi anchoring predominantly in the middle. Again brilliant even with Alexis having in all… Read more »
Confidence is what it is. If your in a workplace where you don’t feel appreciated your head goes down and maybe even get to a point where you don’t want to turn up. He has had a great run in the team and playing brilliantly and getting all the praise that goes with it from the manager, teammates and fans. He must feel about 10 foot tall and invincible right now.
Coq has the fire. It’d be history all over if he and the Polish kid become a dominant midfield combo. Let Ox snd Chambers work there too. Hector and Jenks out right. Gibbs and Monreal left. Sign a cpl first rate CBs and this team could be special
We need more trophies so please make this defending the usual. It’s called “The Atletico Madrid Model”. They are very resolute defensively yet very purposeful in attack.
If there is one thing the team learned yesterday, it is this: defending can win you games as well. We needed to score goals to win, I know; but you also need to keep the opposition out to win. Remember we scored 3 here last season yet left the pitch embarrassed by conceding 6.
Of course we don’t like to concede 6 goals ever, but that 6-3 game wasn’t as bad as people often make out, especially in the media. We played ok. That game could’ve ended up 4-4 but luck was against us with a couple of dodgy decisions. The battering that Liverpool gave us though…no excuse, that still hurts badly. One day soon hopefully we will dish out a thumping to the Mugsmashers – they’re looking vulnerable at the moment so ripe for it. And, can’t quite see it the form they have at the moment, but if one day we could… Read more »
This might well have been mentioned already but surely some kudos for Cazorlas performance should go to Sanchez for leading by example since his arrival? Could Santis excellent performance have been inspired by the work rate of the Chilean!?! Not to take anything away from the man himself…