Monday, 10 August 2015

Arsenal 0-2 West Ham : Match Review

 Arsenal had the worst possible start to the season by losing 2-0 at home to West Ham.

Arsenal normally don't have the best of starts in the opening fixture of the season but Arsenal fans had high hopes when they had a brilliant preseason by winning the Asia cup over in Singapore, the Emirates cup, the highlight being a 6-0 thrashing over Lyon, which don't forgot are a champions league side and the Community shield over a very strong Chelsea side.

Petr Cech endured a nightmare debut as he flapped for a Dimitri Payet free-kick, allowing Cheikhow Kouyate to head home, before the 11m signing. Was caught out by a long range effort from Mauro Zarate.

Arsenal had the first chance of the game when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain fired a fierce volley over the bar, with the Gunners being sloppy in possession at times by giving the ball away too regularly and placing a number of stray passes

Olivier Giroud was central to Arsenal's attack, with a number of deft touches to his team-mate, but the complacency had still not left the game after 25 minutes with the stray passes continuing. Oxlade-Chamberlain surged down the wing to cross to Santi Cazorla, who lofted a volley onto the roof of the net

Arsenal's urgency had improved by this stage and Aaron Ramsey came close to opening the scoring when his volley cannoned off the back of Aaron Cresswell and looped on to the top of the crossbar with Adrian well beaten.

Dimitri Payet showed there was too sides in the game when he drifted into the middle, before curling a deflected effort over Petr Cech's bar. Ramsey than had a chance at the other end when he dragged a shot wide, as Arsenal began to start ticking.

However it was the Hammers that took the lead, capitalising on a free-kick opportunity to loft the ball into Cheikhou Kouyate, who headed an easy header into the net as Petr Cech was caught in no-mans land, not the first impression he would have wanted

Giroud smashed an early shot into the side netting early in the second-half, making the most of the opportunity, but West Ham then extended their lead. Mauro Zarate struck a low shot which squirmed into the bottom corner of the net, another poor moment from Cech

Arsenal needed a major turnaround and brought on Theo Walcott as they attempted to do just that, coming on in place of Francis Coquelin, whilst Alexis Sanchez soon followed by replacing Mathieu Debuchy.

By this stage West Ham were sitting back, well aware that barring a miracle their work was done. Despite Arsenal throwing everything forward, there was still no sign of things turning around but there was a scary moment when Giroud was knocked-out but still allowed to continue.

Oxlade-Chamberlain rifled a shot into the side netting before Cazorla forced a save from Adrian but Arsenal still has not created a decent opening,

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