Alexis en Fuego
13 – Goals Alexis has scored in all competitions for Arsenal 2016/17
17 – Goals Alexis scored in all competitions for Arsenal 2015/16
54 – Shots Alexis has taken in all competitions for Arsenal 2016/17
106 – Shots Alexis took to get to his 13th goal in all competitions for Arsenal 2015/16
35 – Shots Alexis needed before he scored his first goal in all competitions for Arsenal 2015/16
26 – Shots on goal Alexis has made in all competitions for Arsenal 2016/17
34 – Shots on goal Alexis needed in all competitions for Arsenal 2015/16 to score 13 goal
Alexis scored a second half hat-trick to bring his season total to 13 goals. He’s achieved this remarkable feat by finishing his chances at an Arsenal career high 24% conversion (goals/shots) and 50% conversion of shots on target. These are epic high numbers but actually not that epic high for him. In his last season at Barcelona, he converted 29%, scoring 19 goals on just 66 shots (la Liga only).
What’s incredible about his increased finishing is that Alexis hasn’t changed his shot selection, at all. In league play, last season he took 55% of his shots inside the 18 yard box, 10% in the 6 yard box, and 35% from outside the 18 yard box. This season he taking 56% of his shots in the 18, 9% in the 6, and 35% from outside. The main difference is that this season he has scored all 4 of his shots in the six yard box whereas he was 4/11 last season. Obviously, these are small samples we are talking about (4 shots in the 6 yard box this season for example) but that’s the reality of strikers: they tend to score in spurts.
As an aside, Alexis went his first 8 matches last season for Arsenal without a goal before exploding with a hat trick against Leicester. Let’s hope this hat trick tonight isn’t the last goal for 8 games for Alexis this season and that he’s just heating up. Though, you should be prepared for his finishing percentages to drop over the next few games. I doubt he’ll get a hat trick every game!
Match Stats
Weird game: West Ham simply fell off the map after Arsenal brought on Ramsey. The match was evenly poised up until the 65th minute. West Ham had 6 shots, Arsenal 9 with the Hammers enjoying much of the possession up to that point.
Up to the 65th minute, Arsenal played almost the same number of long balls as West Ham with both teams hitting 47 and 42 long passes respectively. Though, Arsenal didn’t play a lot of long passes in the air, hitting just 26 aerial passes compared to West Ham’s 48.
West Ham were also the more defensively active of the two teams in that period, making 21-16 tackles, 18-16 interceptions, and forced into 23-13 clearances. This also matched Arsenal’s 6-9 shot superiority and Arsenal’s 250-259 forward pass superiority.
But with Ramsey on, Arsenal went for the jugular. They dominated the ball making 146 passes to West Ham’s 126 and took 10 shots to the Hammers’ 4.
Ramsey took 3 shots in his time on the pitch, Alexis and Ox also took 3, and Arsenal probably could have scored more than 4 goals in that period. The Gunners created 4 Big Chances in the final 15 minutes: 2 for Ramsey, 1 for Özil, (all three saved) and then the 1 which Alexis scored. I mean, the one which Alexis faked a chip, got the keeper to commit, and then impregnated the net.
Gabriel
An assured performance from Arsenal’s makeshift right back.
36/42 passing, only 14 backward.
1/2 crosses, though the one was comically long.
2/2 tackles
2 interceptions
3/3 clearances
12 times he passed to Özil, Arsenal’s most common passing combination (tied with Coquelin to Xhaka)
But most important, he kept Payet quiet.
Payet averages almost 3 dribbles a game, he went 0/5, 4 of which were on Gabriel’s side of the pitch.
Payet averages almost 3 shots a game, he got 2, but one from a set play.
Payet averages 4 key passes a game, he had just one, from a set play.
Payet is fouled 2 times a game on average, he got zero.
Ox
My first impression was that Ox had a poor game but the numbers tell a different story:
6/9 dribbles, 5/5 in his own half – this helped Arsenal break the defensive pressure, in a way that Cazorla did regularly.
4 key passes, tied with Özil, 1 less than Alexis.
Went 22/25 in the West Ham final third (second behind Özil’s 25/26)
How to score that Coquelin “tackle” which led to Arsenal’s first goal
Opta recorded it as a blocked pass but that was just one of the great things Coquelin did on the night. He led Arsenal with 12 ball recoveries, led Arsenal with 5/5 tackles (fouls don’t count as tackles, though he only had the one which was a “yellow”), led Arsenal with 6 interceptions, dribbled 3/3 times, led arsenal in being fouled with 3, and even set up a shot.
@7amkickoff
Sources: Opta, ESPN.com for Alexis’ shots data
Alexis, 0lease sign da ting!
Alexis, please sign da ting!
the state of not being able to edit comments lol
I think Olease should also sign.
Can we just keep this up. World is a much better place when we win, and much happier when we win well.
Coq is so underrated in this team. Fellow is awesome.
Ox can be as good as Harzard with a few tweaks and adjustments, believe boy.
I agree that Le Coq is the unsung hero of this team; he does all the dirty work in the middle, works his socks off and never takes his place for granted. There are some supporters who will always see his limitations first and thus never give him his full due because he is the complete opposite of flashy and does not require or demand the spotlight. I am very excited to see if Xhaka and Coquelin can establish themselves as our main central pairing allowing Wenger to slot others in when the circumstances (chasing a game or trying to… Read more »
Top review, Tim, particularly picking up on the fact that Walcott had reverted to type and essentially hid for the duration of his time on the pitch. Bringing Ramsey on allowed us the opportinity to play with 11 men for the rest of the match.
Walcott didn’t have the greatest of games but had to provide cover for Gabriel down the right against Payet. I question correlation and causation to the Ramsey sub being the game changer (West Ham being defensively active and Arsenal having the upper hand on possession and the four goals being scored). I think Ramsey did ok while he was on. However two minutes before this West Ham tried chasing the game by bringing on Ayew for Fernandes. Ayew is more of a runner and a player who likes to get in behind Arsenal’s defense supporting their sole striker. This was… Read more »
Agree with that assessment and said as much about Walcott before. His movement was excellent, had a couple if chances and he did his job defensively too, he’s part of the reason Payet was so quiet. But he didn’t do much on the ball, and you could maybe put that down to a lack of understanding with the right back. Also, we obviously focused on their right side yesterday
He didn’t say Ramsey caused the shift, just simply stated the stats appeared to switch as he came on. In fairness he did well when he came on. If only he could rediscover he finishing ability though. Can’t believe he didn’t score on Monreal’s back pass. Can’t deny the one great quality he has is getting into the box in those spots although he hasn’t been able to finish even remotely consistently since “that” season…
What a squad we have this season.
2 RBs out (yes factoring Debuchy is a stretch but whatever)
2 Strikers out (Welbeck – remember him?)
Santi out
BFG out
Replacements are killing it and what a bench
What happens when you spend money on the weaknesses in the squad:
34m Xhaka, 33m Mustafi, 17m Lucas, also Elneny was signed in January and came off the bench.
You’re right, it’s a very good squad. I don’t even think that factoring Debuchy is a stretch. It’s starting to look that way because of repeat injuries but he’s still experienced, very talented, and he’s a professional (when he’s on the pitch anyway!) I get that he’s irritated more than a few of us but I still hope that he will recover quickly and play a part in the second half of the season. Anyone who says that we won’t need our entire squad this season is overly optimistic. That said, I’m really happy that Gabriel is putting up some… Read more »
The Coquelin “tackle” as you have referred to it seemed to me to be the epitome of how you have described how Wenger is setting up with Coquelin this season. Give the assist to Le Professeur!
Agreed! And fair play to Coquelin for implementing it. The lad will run through a brick wall for us.
Also, his goal celebrations… Magnifique!
The thought of running the Coq through a brick wall just made me wince.
I think those who thought Ox had a bad game (and there’s quite a few on the player ratings article) focused on his first-half performance more, where he was played on the left and couldn’t provide crosses from the flanks as he tends to switch to his right foot (and thus that comically wild henry-esque right-footed cross-shot). In the second half I see him more on the right flank and through the center, and immediately he excelled (and Walcott goes missing in action), perhaps we can consider putting Iwobi on the left next game? The game changed in our favour… Read more »
I just don’t understand the “Walcott goes missing” stuff, as distinct from merely saying he did not have a good game. The implication is that he switched off, or was disinterested, or was in over his head–none of these are true. Theo did not have a dominant game, obviously, but he was completely aware, made good runs, tracked back (especially helping Gabriel on Payet), was in the box at all the right times. There may have been others, but I only remember one time when he failed to make a hard run, on a Monreal cross, early on. He could… Read more »
He just looked like a zombie. if you paid attention to him.
He just had a baby, probably has had no sleep during the past week.
I know what its like to have to perform on little sleep (especially consecutive nights of it), and how weak and shitty that can make you feel.
“WEST HAM 1-5 ARSENAL: BY THE ALEXIS”
Loved the title! What about the fake for his goal? Simply brilliant.
Thanks for a great review Tim, as always.
Our left side was definitely more effective & prolific than our right side & I felt Theo didn’t get enough of the ball when in promising positions. He didn’t hide like was suggested in above comment.
Also maybe we should only play Theo when iwobi plays on the left & likewise when Ramsey plays on the right we play Ox on the left.
I wonder how much that was reflective of specific instruction from the boss. Its well documented that he likes one full back to be more attacking than the other and with Gabriel in on the right it seemed nacho picked up the mantle.
That’s not to say he doesn’t get forward from time to time but struck me that he was hitting the touch line more often than usual.
Conversely (and I’m less convinced of this) Theo may have had specific instruction to be more conservative to support defence.
You would expect that if Nacho was asked to foray forward, our left winger would be the more conservative, rather than Theo, to provide Nacho some support.
It is usually bellerin and walcott so not sure i would expect it
Ox had a great game, he had at least one beautiful piece of skill, a goal and an assist and was a constant threat however Theo…
Walcott->
Zero tackles, zero interceptions, zero clearances, zero blocked shots, zero fouls committed. 47% accuracy and only 32 touches in 65 minutes.
(all stats from WhoScored)
We somehow still look clueless against an easy team. When will we have a Chelsea type look/feeling. When will it all come together …we are unbeaten since our first game and still??……
Errr… we had a ‘Chelsea type look’ when we smashed Chelsea.
Only got 5, not good enough. You’re right, when will we start playing?
This is really odd. We scored 5 and could have easily scored a lot more. Spurs troll?
Chelsea were really lucky against Man City, do not let the reports fool you. The match should have been out of sight before Otamendi and Kolarov stopped pretending to be competent.
Is there a video anywhere of this coquelin tackle, missed the match but love seeing his tackles
Maybe it’s just because I am always hoping he’ll have a good game but I can’t understand how you could think Ox had a poor game without looking at the numbers.
You can form an opinion without numbers, but it is odd opinion, massively biased by couple of poor final balls in first half. What Alexis does in front of goal is just brilliant, but the Ox’s all round game is actually better. If he could just get his confidence up and his head didn’t go when close to goal he would be our best player. He is different class to Iwobe who always looks like he is trying to get the ball under control.
A few points: – Alexis has incredible technique and shows it, literally, all the time. I don’t know how you can say that Ox’s all-around game is “better”. It’s not, it’s just different. – I agree that the Ox is a very skilled, very technically gifted player. I agree that he can be one of our best players. But don’t use absolutes on a team with Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil, Alexis, Laurent Koscielny… These guys are all individually brilliant at their position. It doesn’t mean that one is “better” than the other. Just appreciate them all for taking their responsibilities… Read more »
Agree, even without looking at the numbers I could see he was had a storming match.
Whoscored gave him a 10/10
i think it’s interesting to highlight this: on 552 minutes on field, the ox has taken 17 shots (around one every 32 minutes), of which only 4 were on target (one every 138 minutes, which includes his 2 goals so far in the prem). i am all about getting behind him and i agree he puts a lot of effort and drives the team forward, but if just he improved his finishing a little bit…
So many good performances yesterday. I thought Gabriel was a warrior didn’t realise he had such a good game. I was worried about a smash and grab (probably by Carroll) when we were leading by only one goal, despite dominating them. Pleased for Ox, he always seems to easily go past players, it was his final ball / finish which has been his weakness. So, it was nice to see him score yesterday. Monreal, seemed to be very effective offensively yesterday. While Kos, Mustafi, Coq all had there usual very good game. There was hardly anyone who had a bad… Read more »
That singer chick ox is banging is clearly helping his game. Keep it up son.
By the Alexis is like having your π and eat it 🙂
Coquelin was booked for (probably accidentally) kicking the ball a few yards to the sidelines, not for a foul.