Arsenal: Aaron Ramsey hearkens back to key missing trait

Aaron Ramsey was getting back to his best in Arsenal’s win over Manchester United, hearkening back to a key missing trait of his past: freedom.

It was a far more fluid and dynamic performance from Arsenal in their 2-0 win over Manchester United on a sunny Sunday afternoon. As the sun beamed down on a bright and open Emirates Stadium, the Gunners’ top four hopes began to bloom, only encouraged by Liverpool’s surprise draw earlier in the day thanks to a missed James Milner penalty.

There were many positives to be drawn from the display. Danny Welbeck’s clinical header, showcasing great movement in the penalty and confidence and assuredness when the chance came; Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs’ willingness to bomb forward in wide areas, penning the United midfield deep in their own half; Granit Xhaka’s accurate, tempo-setting distribution from a quarterback-like deep-lying position.

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However, perhaps no individual was as impressive and influential as Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman has shown shoots of recovery in recent weeks, benefitting from Arsene Wenger’s change in system, implementing a 3-4-3 formation, and he blossomed against United on Sunday, given the freedom to roam forward, making late, incisive runs into the penalty area, collecting the ball in the final third and creating chances as a result.

And it is this key trait, freedom, that has seeped back into his game more recently. During his most illustrious and successful period at the club – the 2013/14 season, especially the opening few months before injury, predictably, curtailed his campaign – it was the freedom to push forward, to make late, attacking runs, and try the cute flicks, reverse passes and pieces of skill to unpick the tightly packed, well-disciplined, organised defences that unlocked the best of his ability.

And that was the overarching characteristic of his display against United. Ander Herrera, who certainly looked a little leggy, lacking the energy and business of his usual self, was unable to track Ramsey’s relentless runs, while Michael Carrick, the man who controls the game with such calmness and confidence, was far more flustered than usual, under pressure due to the relentless, free-flowing movement of Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

It was the interchangeable attacks of the Arsenal side that caused United’s deep-lying defence problems. And rarely was it the case that Ramsey was not at the heart of this. Often it would be a darting run off the ball that would engineer space for his teams, rather than a more direct influence.

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The lack of movement has been a major shortcoming in Arsenal’s attacking play in recent weeks, however, and Ramsey’s roaming style did unlock the best of Sanchez and Welbeck. There are still many improvements to be made, both as a collective and for Ramsey as an individual, but by hearkening back to his key missing trait, Ramsey is finding his and his team’s best form once again.

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