Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal’s Loss To West Ham A Blessing In Disguise

By Nasra Osman

Mandatory credit: Ronnie Macdonald
Mandatory credit: Ronnie Macdonald /
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There’s something about the first game of the season that just doesn’t bode well for the Arsenal.

Year after year they either suffer in defeat, or are made to work unnecessarily hard to grind out a win. Despite all the optimism surrounding the club and the undeniable momentum of the results of preseason, they just couldn’t find a way to prevent history from repeating itself.

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It happened again.

Arsenal helplessly fell 2-0 to West Ham United in the London Derby on the opening day of what has been dubbed by fans and pundits alike as “our year.” Although the case can be made for it being a one-off, the team looked flat when one considers the flair and fluidity that Arsenal played with throughout preseason.

Unfortunately, there was neither flair nor fluidity in the dismal display at the Emirates. It may have only been the first game, but the team that usually plays with such cohesion seemed as though they could not even string two passes together, let alone create any chances for Olivier Giroud to latch on to.

Fast-forward to Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace where the team exhibited a more satisfactory performance than the one we saw against the Hammers.

So, can it be said that the loss against West Ham was a blessing in disguise for Arsenal?

I would be inclined to say yes, given the higher level of quality to which the team executed the game. It was by no means emphatic, but it did secure the three points that were desperately needed. The most important improvement from the game against West Ham was the precision of the passing. Oftentimes Arsenal are able to dominate and win games solely based on the fact that they can control the game by keeping possession of the ball.

For the most part, they were in the driver’s seat and were able to capitalize on the chances that were created. Mesut Ozil completed 54 of his 55 passes, which tells you that he was instrumental in the North Londoners being in control of this game. There is no doubt that the loss served as a wake up call for them when you see the sharpness that they played with today compared to last week.

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The nightmarish game would have also been a blessing in disguise for Petr Cech, given that his debut performance for the club was evidently not up to his standards. Cech didn’t look confident against West Ham, and his communication with Mertesacker and Koscielny was dubious to say the least. But one would assume that Cech will have learned his lesson from making mistakes in those games, and isn’t likely to make them again.

Cech looked solid against Crystal Palace, even though he wasn’t tested a whole lot. His understanding with his center backs was noticeably better, and it seems as though the three have confidence in one another. Fortunately, their understanding of one another will only be fortified as the season continues.

It may have been three points dropped, but in hindsight, the loss was beneficial to Arsenal. Some fans may not see it that way, but what they have to understand is that sometimes a negative result is needed in order to formulate a positive mindset. Sometimes, a daunting loss is necessary for the message to get across that dropping points to mid- table teams is not going to cut it if Arsenal is truly going to mount a title challenge this season.

And it seems as though the calls to bounce back after the unfavorable result at West Ham were heard loud and clear.

Next: Nacho Monreal Nearing his End at Arsenal?

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