Arsenal 3, Shrewsbury Town 1 - Match Report - 20/08/11

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain notches his game-winning goal for the Gunners.

by Stuart Matthews

It may have been just a domestic cup game - one which years ago Arsène Wenger may have regarded as a nuisance or a burden on his small but trophy-laden clubs.

Tuesday night at the Emirates Stadium, the League Cup third-round tie provided an unexpected tonic.

Wenger, under fire after Saturday's freakish loss at Blackburn added to the worst start for Arsenal in 56 years, saw the Gunners pull back a brace of second-half goals to beat plucky Shrewsbury Town 3-1.

Said Wenger: "It was a bit nervy. We played against a good side. They were direct but had good technique. They had a few dangerous positions even after they scored. But we took over in the second half."

The omens looked nearly as dark as the sky behind the floodlights at kick-off, and even worse after James Collins slipped behind a confused Arsenal back four to head past Lukasz Fabianski, putting the Shrews up 1-0 on 16 minutes. Mark Wright hit a post and Reuben Hazel headed wide for the visitors. Not even Wenger could imagine a shakier start, the Gunners' defensive frailty exposed once again, and Wenger subject to chants of "Sacked in the morning!" from the visiting support.

Marouane Chamakh had come close twice in the early going for Arsenal to no ado. But Wenger's game plan of unleashing raw youth -which has served him so well in this competition over the years - alongside a handful of veterans did the trick on Tuesday. Left back Kieran Gibbs, aged 21 but with as many first-team appearances, levelled affairs on 33 minutes, burying a header from Carl Jenkinson's cross.

Still the nerves were frayed at the Emirates as the teams departed level at half-time. Those emotions were soothed over the following 45 minutes by that blend of youth and experience.

First, it was 18-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, raiding with speed up the right wing and raking in a 30-yard shot under Benjamin Smith for what would be the game winner 13 minutes after the interval. Like Gibbs' equaliser, it was Chamberlain's first score for Arsenal's first XI, and it couldn't have come at a better moment.

Most of the 46,539 at the Emirates would have sighed collectively in relief. But Chamberlain's lung-busting runs down Shrewsbury's flanks had them gasping again, and the winger's marauding paid off. Arsenal's most expensive signing of the summer pinned the Shrews on the back foot.

On 78 minutes it was a 31-year-old's chance to get himself in Arsenal's scorebooks for the first time. Yossi Benayoun, the seasoned Israeli international on loan from Chelsea, beat Smith calmly from point-blank range to seal matters.

Calm, indeed. The more experienced hands will bear the burden on Saturday when Arsenal host Bolton Wanderers, in search of their second win in six Premier League tries. But for one night at least, the kids were alright, and made Arsenal supporters and Wenger himself breathe more easily.

The Arsenal crowd serenaded Wenger and the manager waved back with warmth.

Gazidis: Arsenal's backbone is strong

Arsenal CEO Gazidis: Full backing for Wenger.

by Stuart Matthews

It was anything but an ordinary breakfast. It was a breakfast which Ivan Gazidis will hope put some meat on the bones.

Gadizis, Arsenal's chief executive officer, took questions Tuesday morning at the Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London, and his answers were meaty as prime pork: Arsenal are not starving, the manager Arsène Wenger is not broken by this season's shuddering start, and the team has the backbone to survive and thrive.

Gazidis spoke after Arsenal's wrenching 4-3 loss at Blackburn and Tuesday night's League Cup encounter with Shrewsbury Town - a match many outsiders are considering a must for Wenger's men to win.

"That is the frustration that Arsène is wrestling with," Gazidis said. "He is absolutely not broken. He is as focused on delivering success to this football club as he has ever been. Believe it or not, he didn’t become a bad manager or somebody who is out of touch with the game - it’s absolute nonsense."

The red tops may have been screaming for Wenger's head in a week which has seen Arsenal stumble to its worst start in 58 years, laying bare defensive frailties and the manager's own frustrations..

But the Arsenal CEO said he and majority owner Stan Kroenke are backing Wenger to put the men in red right, and that their self-sustaining business model proves the club will soon be moving back in the right direction.

Following the late-summer departures of stars Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, Wenger shored up Arsenal's resources with a flurry of activity at the close of the transfer window with five signings. And Gazidis said more is to come as Arsenal negotiate the hurdles toward the January transfer period.

"The potential is there and everyone can see it," Gazidis said. "Last year we played some of the best football in the Premier League, and yet we self-destructed at key moments. We've seen that a few times this season again, and that is something we have to correct."

And Gazidis insisted Wenger remains the club's man going forward despite the most difficult period of his 15 years at the Gunners' helm. Said the CEO: "(Wenger) is recognised around the world not only as an inspirational leader, but a battler and ultimately a winner. I believe for very solid reasons that he is the man to get us back on track.” 

Match Preview - Arsenal v Shrewsbury Town - League Cup

Ryo Miyaichi could see his first action for Arsenal.

by Stuart Matthews

Arsène Wenger's "turn-the-page" approach to Tuesday night's League Cup clash with Shrewsbury Town at the Emirates is clear: No promises - but some demands. Definitely, yes.

"We will play better than in the last game," said the Arsenal boss, who re-groups the Gunners after they were overturned 4-3 at Blackburn on Saturday. No promises then, about a league campaign which has gotten off to a distinctly flawed start. And no vision stated, beyond facing the promotion-seeking League Two opponents who will visit the Emirates in a game of potential danger for the Premier League giants.

Arsenal skipper Robin Van Persie remembers clearly how the loss to Birmingham City in last year's League Cup final at Wembley sent the team reeling through the final weeks of the season. Like the manger, Van Persie is setting a grim face for the encounter.

"At some point you need to pick yourself up and prove what you are capable of," Van Persie said. "We are not doing that at the moment, and we are not consistent enough. It is the reality now ... We have a game on Tuesday again and we must give our maximum. We have to look at it game by game."

The captain himself will not feature against the Shrews Tuesday night, although a wounded Wenger is likely to pick a mixture of veterans and the "Carling Cup kids" who have serve the club so well in this domestic cup campaign in years past. After what happened at Ewood Park on Saturday, no one at Arsenal is overlooking Shrewsbury.

Speedster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsenal's most expensive signing of the off-season, is likely to feature prominently, as well as youngsters Emmanuel Frimpong, Carl Jenkinson, Ignasi Miquel and Francis Coquelin.

Arsenal fans will also be keen to see a glimpse of the new Asian flavour Wenger has brought in at forward positions. South Korean World Cup star Ju Young Park may find himself leading the line, and Japanese teenager Ryo Miyaichi could add to the Gunners' attack.

Lukasz Fabianski is to handle the gloves for Arsenal and experienced hands such as Marouane Chamakh, Kieran Gibbs, Yossi Benayoun and Johan Djourou will have pivotal roles, with one of them likely taking the captain's armband.

"That means having the right balance between experience and youth," Wenger said.

For his part, Shrewsbury manager Graham Turner is taking nothing for granted, but he hinted: "If they are below their best and we can play above ourselves, we have the players to cause one or two problems. We have pace and mobility that may bring us a result."

Blackburn 4, Arsenal 3 - Match Report - 17/08/11

Arsène Wenger looks on as the Gunners fall at Ewood Park.

by Stuart Matthews

Wet, wondering, and quite possibly worrying, Arsène Wenger did not mince words in describing his side's quirky 4-3 loss at soggy Ewood Park on Saturday.

"Terrible," Wenger said, after Arsenal surrendered two late own goals, as well as a pair of soft ones, despite dominating much of a free-for-all of a contest. The Gunners are now trailing their hosts in the table, with a tally of just four points from five league matches.

Said Wenger with a weary and wry touch: "It is very disappointing to lose a game when we have scored five goals."

Indeed. But the telling ones came off the bodies of Wenger's own players, and the Arsenal boss conceded his recently refashioned defence had not been up to the task against Rovers.

"It is just not good enough," the manager said. "If you look at the type of goals we are conceding, it is not good enough at all."

It looked good enough at the start. Despite the conditions, the Gunners came out flying and were ahead 1-0 after newcomer Gervinho gathered Alex Song's pass and slotted past Paul Robinson in the 10th minute.

To look at the final match statistics would suggest a rampant Arsenal victory. For the match, Wenger's side had nearly 70 percent of the possession. The Gunners had 11 more corners than Blackburn (13-2) and nine shots on target to their opponents' four.

But the scoreline would not lie. Blackburn levelled on the first of a brace from Yabuku Ayegbeni - with the Nigerian hit man tucking away a through ball from the livewire Junior Hoilett past a stranded Wojciech Szczesny into the Arsenal net on 24 minutes.

Arsenal ramped it up a gear just nine minutes later, with fellow new signee Mikel Arteta putting his side up 2-1. A cutback from Aaron Ramsey found Arteta free and the Basque playmaker pelted home with a flourish for his first goal in an Arsenal shirt.

But it was a day that seemed destined not to go right for Wenger's men. Song, normally the most reliable of Wenger's defensive hard cases, allowed Ruben Rochina's free-kick to ping off his knee past a bemused Szczesny and Blackburn were level.

After the interval, Yakubu struck again, poaching a goal by connecting with a fizzed shot from an unmarked Steven Nzonzi off of a rare Blackburn corner. Yakubu was possibly offside, but it was 3-2, and Arsenal's palpitations turned into something resembling parody.

Wenger had to be puzzled after what ensued. Another own goal, after Martin Olsson had bursted the length of the pitch, racing by Johan Djourou, and cutting back only for Gunners' centre-back Laurent Koscienly to bump into Szczesny's net.

Arsenal still had 20 minutes plus added time to level, and pulsed with purpose. Marouane Chamakh brought the Gunners to within 4-3 with a proper centre-forward's headed finish with six minutes remaining. Blazing forward, the Gunners were denied: Per Mertesacker edged a header over the crossbar from a matter of feet, and Robin Van Persie, Chamakh and Theo Walcott all found themselves thwarted by Robinson who rose large between Blackburn's posts.

The Arsenal captain shook his head. "We were so much better than them, and even now I can't see how they scored four goals against us. It shouldn't be possible. It is very frustrating," Van Persie said.

The under-fire Blackburn manager Steve Kean shook off suggestions that his Arsenal counterpart could be in danger so early into the campaign. "There is no doubting what that man (Wenger) has done for that club and for football," said Kean. "Any talk of him going anywhere is pure nonsense."

Resigned in defeat, Wenger was blunt: "We dominated the game but in our weak moments we were not strong enough to resist. We didn't have many weak moments in this game but every time we had one, we paid for it," he said.

With a seemingly simple job to do on Tuesday evening against Shrewsbury Town in the Carling Cup at the Emirates, it may be wise for Wenger and crew to pay-and-display in advance.