Arsenal: Arsene Wenger Hint Threatening For Midfield Star

Arsene Wenger heavily praised Arsenal’s passing in their win over West Ham, dropping a threatening hint to Aaron Ramsey that improvements must be made.

Arsenal have been playing poorly for some time now. From the turn of the year, where they were able to eek out wins over Crystal Palace, Burnley and a remarkable draw against Bournemouth from three goals down, while the results were still decent, the performances were well below-par.

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However, since February 11th, they have won just three games, two against non-league opposition in the FA Cup and once over West Ham United on Wednesday night. It was the latest win where the Gunners showcased their best football in some time, especially when in possession later in the game, where the confidence clearly began flowing through the side once the first goal was scored.

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When asked about the greater fluidity in his side’s passing, Arsene Wenger heralded the importance of the pairing of Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny, praising their speed in releasing the ball, ensuring that there was a tempo to Arsenal’s attacking moves, establishing a foundation for the fluid, interchangeable attacks of the more attacking players:

"“I liked [against West Ham] the fact that the speed of our passing in the heart of the game was very good. I believe that is not only the quality of our passing that is important, but the speed of our passing that is needed. We want to play quickly. We have quick strikers and we need to feed them quickly, so the speed of decision making becomes very important.”"

Such comments are an accurate representation of Arsenal’s play against West Ham. Xhaka especially was excellent in his distribution, showcasing a lovely range of passing, both short and long, while bringing a rhythm and speed to the attacking moves. The comments, while praising Xhaka and Elneny, should also serve as a warning for Aaron Ramsey.

After a promising display for the Welsh national side in the European Championships in the summer, it was hoped that this would be Ramsey’s breakthrough season in which he fulfil his potential as Arsenal’s mainstay central midfielder. That, though, has been far from the truth.

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Ramsey has struggled with injuries throughout the year, failing to ever enjoy a run of consistent starts. When he has played, he has looked ponderous on the ball, lacking his usual direction and ingenuity. And it seems as though Wenger is aware of his struggles. His praising of Elneny and Xhaka, while an accurate depiction of their promising displays, should serve as a stark warning to Ramsey.