Arsenal: 5 talking points from 6-0 West Brom rout

Well, that was more like it, wasn’t it? A comfortable 6-0 for Arsenal over a youthful West Brom side in the EFL Cup was just the tonic the club needed.

A hat-trick for captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and goals from Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka, and the returning Alexandre Lacazette completed the rout.

Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard, Nuno Tavares, Sead Kolasinac, and Mohamed Elneny were all handed starting spots against the Baggies with Aubameyang leading the line.

While many will look at the quality of opposition, what Arsenal got out of the match was exactly what was needed: goals, confidence, and a swagger. Not to mention a win.

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Arsenal: 5 talking points as Mikel Arteta’s side book place in Carabao Cup third round with 6-0 demolition of West Brom

It could not have gone any better for Mikel Arteta and his side as apart from the opening ten or so minutes, in which the Baggies’ high press caused concerns to the backline, they strolled to victory.

As is Valerian Ismael’s style, his side, whoever is playing in it, aims for high turnovers and to force errors into the opposition, which they succeeded in doing during the first quarter of an hour. None of the back four got a free pass during that spell, forcing Ramsdale into a few early clean-up jobs.

Once the first goal came via a lucky break for Saka that resulted in an Aubameyang tap in, the visitors were largely untroubled. It was smooth sailing for Arteta’s side who got the perfect result on a night where the sorely needed it.

Pre-match there were few better scripts that could have been written up aside from that one. Here are the talking points from Arsenal’s big win over West Brom.

1. Aaron Ramsdale Impresses on Arsenal Debut

The opposition was not at Premier League level but on his Gunners debut, Ramsdale acquitted himself well.

A couple of hairy moments early on saw his defenders provided him with a quintessential Arsenal welcome. Dodgy moments under pressure and poorly weighted passes back were the ideal way to let him know he’s an Arsenal player now.

Yet as the side settled, so too did Ramsdale. His distribution was calm and collected while he also made a strong low save in the first half, before his kicking began to show its use. In particular, one line-breaking pass into midfield stood out.

Bernd Leno will likely come straight into the team to face Manchester City at the weekend, but Ramsdale has given Arteta something to think about as it has been a while that Arsenal has had a keeper look so confident.

It is just one game, but the early signs look promising.

2. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang… is Back?

The Arsenal skipper was back to his Golden Boot winning best tonight with two instinctive tap-ins and a typical curling strike to complete his hat-trick, as he tormented the West Brom defence.

He looked a different player tonight and perhaps the main reason for that is Martin Odegaard. After all, his last hat-trick came with a certain Norwegian playing behind him. Coincidence? Not so sure.

The Norwegian was solid in his creative role as he intelligently knew when to play in teammates to open the spaces for Aubameyang to get into dangerous positions. Many of the elements that you don’t notice are the key ones.

Everything comes with a caveat, of course. This was a very youthful West Brom side who clearly fatigued after their high pressing beginning, yet even so it was the choice of runs that the captain made as well as the energy in his strides that were refreshing.

If this Aubameyang is back for Arsenal, then there are good times ahead. Arsenal’s best chance of a ‘successful’ season is with the 32-year-old scoring. It’s as simple as that.

Just play him through the middle.

3. Nuno Tavares is Raw, but the Development Potential is There

Given his full competitive debut for Arsenal on Wednesday, Tavares showed why he was bought by the club.

His pace and willingness to get forward and be part of the attack were a highlight. That, however, had an impact elsewhere as he was caught out positionally on numerous occasions while several misplaced passes also crept into his game.

It showed there is work to be done on this diamond in the rough.

What is clear is his talent, and given he is comfortable with either foot, it shows he can be a valuable contribution for the Gunners this season. The Gunners specifically set out to sign players with such profiles – young, hungry and physical, but with coaching potential – and more time on the training pitch will fine-tune some of the elements to his game that are still raw.

Overall a good showing, especially after the break when the defensive shackles were lifted.

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1430657710991757313

4. Martin Odegaard is Exactly What Arsenal Has Been Craving

As expected, the Norwegian was given the start by Arteta and his impact was noticeable for everyone to see.

Cool and calm, his deft little drops of the shoulders to weave past players and silky touches of the ball are just some of what he brings to this Arsenal side.

It’s positional awareness from a creative point of view that the side has lacked. Boasting players like Emile Smith Rowe and Saka who understand space and can drive into it, Odegaard brings an intelligence of those runs where other players can receive in dangerous zones.

Understanding the economy of touches, when to hold and when to release, he adds zip and tempo in central areas. That centrality is grossly lacking without someone of his presence.

His assist for Saka’s goal was simply sensational. His turn prior to Aubameyang’s second equally delectable.

Can he do it against bigger sides? We’ve got plenty of time to find out. He’s only 22 years old.

5. Bukayo Saka Back To His Outstanding Standard

Something that we already knew, right?

Saka was Arsenal’s best player on the pitch aside from treble hero Aubameyang. His play was indicative of how Arsenal want to force the issue in matches and his well-taken goal with his weaker(?) foot was exquisite.

For patches of the first half it felt frighteningly like old times: pass the ball to Saka and see what happens. That’s an issue to look at for Arteta as he wrestles with a dodgy opening period.

But having ‘B’ being able to drop deep and drive, make out to in runs, ride challenges, feed balls through and take the risks needed to open spaces is invaluable. He is invaluable.

Courage, power, and a dedication to drive his team forward are what we have come to expect from our star boy. The perfect tune-up for Manchester City on the weekend.