1. Arsenal’s lethargic start to away games continues.
After a long run of being unbeaten in away games for over 8 months, Arsenal have struggled through Everton, Manchester City, Bournemouth and now Swansea to get a hold of the game early on which is usually their trademark. The first attempt on goal came by no other but Alexis around 28 minutes and the first half display like that against any of the other top 6 teams or an in form mid table team could spell doom in future. The need for intensity early on must now be on Wenger’s mind in the next few training sessions.
2. Aaron Ramsey needs to prove himself to Arsenal.
The thought of Ramsey having an excellent season after an inspiring performance at the Euros have quickly been extinguished. The Welsh man has had his fair share of injury woes but now when the opportunity is begging to be taken, his output is not yet at the level he can get to or the level expected of him. Ramsey has undoubtedly been subject of criticism in the past few games he has played. At the Liberty Stadium,his decision making particularly has been poor, giving away possession easily or pulling off a skill when it was easier to lay on a pass. He did his job well enough but with the likes of Santi Carzola, Coquelin, El Neny, Wilshere all unavailable, he needs to put in excellent performances to stake permanent claim to the starting line up.
3. Underestimated Alex Iwobi
The young Nigerian again came to the party and was involved in three of the four goals scored against a helpless Swansea side. He completed 89%(Squawka) of his passes on the day and worked tirelessly in the second half to further silence his critics and hope to continue in the starting line up. The dip in form over the late stages of 2016 has called for starts for the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lucas Perez, but Wenger’s faith in the 20 year old looks to be paying off and more will be expected in coming games.
4. Arsenal ready to learn the hard way again.
Alexis Sanchez was furious after the draw at Bournemouth and the issue of him staying or not was raised by fans and pundits. The opportunity to reduce gap between the team and run away Table Toppers Chelsea, had potentially been lost before Chelsea even kicked off and the title race which is probably the most keenly contested in the history of the premier league has left fans with no choice but to be contented with another top four finish. The consistency in the top 6 leaves room for no mistakes as the race hots up. Arsenal have to dig deep again to reignite their title hopes. Away games against Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham will prove key. The 12 year wait for a league title looks elusive and fans will be hoping things change soon enough.
5. Paul Clement has his work cut out over the next couple of weeks
Saving Swansea from relegation is a big task for the English man. Losing 4 nil after a bright start might have been hard to swallow but with an away fixture to follow at Anfield, Clement and his troops have to start grinding out results. The transfer window is almost half way and one or two additions may just be enough to help galvanise the already existing talent at the club to avoid the drop.
The drama of the English Premier League continues next week.
@Ope_one
