Monday 4 May 2015 23:52, UK
We reflect on five talking points from the KC Stadium after Arsenal claimed a 3-1 win over relegation-threatened Hull City.
Alexis Sanchez scored his 23rd and 24th goals of the season either side of an Aaron Ramsey strike as the Gunners claimed their ninth win in 10 games in the Monday Night Football, moving level on points with second-placed Manchester City with a game in hand.
Hull pulled a goal back through Stephen Quinn after the break, but the result was never in doubt and the Tigers remain just one point clear of the drop zone.
Cazorla pulls the strings
“It’s glorious football by Arsenal. They’re so hard to stop in this kind of mood.”
Alan Smith summed it up in the commentary box as the Gunners blew Hull away with a devastating, high-intensity first half performance – and at the heart of it all was Arsenal’s two-footed magician Cazorla.
After Sanchez broke the deadlock with his deflected free kick, the little Spaniard set up Ramsey’s goal with a laser-guided 50-yard pass which had Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville purring at half-time. “It was absolutely fantastic from Cazorla,” he said. “It’s unbelievable that pass.
“We’ve seen three or four passes in that half that were absolutely out of this world from Arsenal. Their passing in that first half, particularly out of the central areas, has been absolutely fantastic.”
Cazorla’s assist was his ninth of the Premier League season – only Cesc Fabregas, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Angel Di Maria have more – and in total he made a game-high 77 passes with 96.1 per cent accuracy. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher was equally impressed and admitted Cazorla’s displays in central midfield have surprised him.
“He was brilliant, rightly given Man of the Match. No one can ever criticise him, he’s a lovely footballer, but the surprising thing for me is that he’s actually performing like that in central midfield. I’d have never said he’s a central midfielder, the performances he’s giving are a shock to me.”
Ramsey resurgence
Ramsey has struggled with injuries and indifferent form for much of this season after a stellar campaign last year, but his recent resurgence continued with a superb performance at the KC.
The Welshman has had to settle for a spot on the right of Arsenal’s front three in recent weeks, but he is thriving away from his favoured central midfield role. Ramsey scored one and set up another, meaning he has now scored or assisted seven goals in his last six Premier League appearances.
There was a slice of good fortune in Ramsey’s deflected finish for his goal, but his cushioned first touch from Cazorla’s long ball was outstanding, while his impeccably timed through ball for Sanchez’s second was equally impressive.
Carragher rated it just as highly as Cazorla’s assist, and the former Liverpool defender also lauded Ramsey as one of the best midfielders in the country. “The pass from Ramsey, I think it’s just as good,” said Carragher. “With the development of Ramsey over the last 18 months, he’s one of the top midfielders in the country.
“A couple of years ago he was getting stick off the Arsenal crowd. You look at him now, what he’s done in those last two years, he’s taken himself to a level now where he will always be in the Arsenal team.”
Wilshere returns
Arsene Wenger said in the build-up to the game that it could take “years” for Jack Wilshere to get back to his best following his latest ankle injury, but the England midfielder made an immediate impression after coming off the bench for his first appearance since November.
The 23-year-old picked up the ball in midfield and charged towards goal before being clattered by a Hull defender to win an Arsenal free-kick 20 yards from goal. It was a heart in mouth moment for the Gunners, who must have feared another injury to the talismanic tyro, but he showed no signs of discomfort.
With the likes of Cazorla, Francis Coquelin, Mesut Ozil and Ramsey all impressing in his absence, Wilshere knows he has a fight on his hands to win back his place, and he played like a man with a point to prove.
Overall it was an encouraging cameo, although he will have been disappointed not to have added a fourth goal when James Chester blocked his close-range effort after Steve Harper had saved Hector Bellerin’s diagonal shot.
Next step for Arsenal
After the game, the debate immediately turned to what comes next for Arsenal. The Gunners are all but certain to qualify for the Champions League, and with a game in hand on City, they are favourites to claim second place.
Arsenal have now scored 100 goals in all competitions this season, and while Neville was impressed by their latest display, the Sky Sports pundit insists they need to bolster their spine with three or four top class signings in the summer to challenge Chelsea next season.
“They’ve got to make that extra jump,” he said. “If you put (Diego) Costa, (Nemanja) Matic and (John) Terry in that team, they probably win the title.They need that three or four players to hold that spine together, because what they’ve got around it is fantastic, but they need that spine to be strong right the way through the season. At the moment, it’s whether Arsene Wenger can get his hands on those players.”
Wenger was quizzed on the subject in his post-match interview, but the Gunners boss insists Arsenal already have the foundations in place. “We do not need to buy a number of players,” he said. “If we find top, world-class players, we look at it. But we have a very strong squad already. Now we want to stay together and start well next season.”
Hull need instant response
For Hull, attention now turns to this weekend’s crucial clash with fellow strugglers Burnley. “We’ve got to dust ourselves down and get ready for the weekend and the next three games,” said Steve Bruce. “We’re still in there with a shout and out of the relegation zone at the moment.”
Hull improved after the break and Bruce was glad to avoid a bigger scoreline.”The most important thing is how you respond. It was a difficult evening for us. We must accept that but we must move on and get ready for Saturday.”
Neville and Carragher agreed that the Burnley game could crucial to their survival chances. “It’s a game you expect them to get the three points,” said Neville. “If they do that I think it would be massive. I think if Hull win this weekend they stay up, if they lose they’re in a bit of trouble.”
