Arsenal Vs Hull City: 5 Key Players To Watch
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 14: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on August 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Arsenal travel to Hull City on Saturday afternoon in the hope of extending their four-game unbeaten run. Here are five key players to watch.
After midweek European travels, Arsenal return to their domestic duties on Saturday where they travel to Yorkshire to face recently promoted Hull City. The Tigers have been the surprise of the Premier League season thus, having already beaten champions Leicester City and now sitting on seven points – the same as the Gunners – in 8th position.
Here are five key players to watch out for on Saturday afternoon.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentinian midfielder Angel Di Maria (L) vies with Arsenal’s Spanish defender Nacho Monreal during the UEFA Champions League Group A football match between Paris-Saint-Germain vs Arsenal FC, on September 13, 2016 at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. AFP PHOTO / FRANCK FIFE / AFP / FRANCK FIFE (Photo credit should read FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)
5. Nacho Monreal
In a lacklustre start of the season, Arsenal have disappointed for all but one half of football thus far. Offensively, the Gunners have looked devoid of ideas and cutting edge in the final third, while lacking structure and discipline in defensive areas. One player, though, has perhaps started the season in more underwhelming fashion than any other.
Nacho Monreal beat out Kieran Gibbs last year to nail down a regular starting role as the first team left back. Gibbs had tended to be Wenger’s number one option, but a combination of a loss of form, major fitness issues and an improvement in Monreal’s dependability defensively has seen him slip behind the Spaniard.
However, the first few games of this season have seen Monreal’s issues in defensive areas recur. A declining athletic ability has seen him struggle against pacier wingers – most recently Nordin Amrabat for Watford – while his poor positioning has continued to plague his game, something that was evidently clear against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night as Angel Di Maria’ intelligent roaming and Serge Aurier’s overlapping created chaos down the Arsenal left flank.
Against Hull, Monreal may well face Robert Snodgrass or Adama Diomande, who has been played wide right in recent weeks, though a host of new signings late in the window could see a surprising line up. Nonetheless, Monreal will be expected to perform without to much trouble. If he is unable to do so, then Gibbs will be knocking on the first team door once again.
HULL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 27: Curtis Davies of Hull City during the Premier League match between Hull City and Manchester United at KC Stadium on August 27, 2016 in Hull, England. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
4. Curtis Davies
Hull City’s surprising resurgence this season has been built upon a stout defence despite surrendering the majority of possession. The back four is well organised, marshalled by the experience of Curtis Davies, and is shielded excellently by Tom Huddlestone and Sam Clucas.
Consequently, Hull have only conceded three goals having played Leicester City and Manchester United and are very difficult to break down. Arsenal will have difficulties in finding space in the final third on Saturday, and much of that can be attributed to the recent performances of Davies.
Amid an injury and personnel crisis, long time central midfielder Jake Livermore has been forced to play centre-half this season, with great success, but with very little working knowledge of the position, you would be forgiven for thinking that this side would just crumble under the pressure of some of the top attacking sides in the Premier League.
That, though, has not been the case and Davies, in particular, must be praised for such resolute performances. Arsenal will have to try and drag Davies out of position if they are to break down this Hull defence, a task that few other sides have been able to do this season.
PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 13: Blaise Matuidi of Paris St Germain and Shkodran Mustafi of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal at Parc des Princes on September 13, 2016 in Paris, . (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
3. Shkodran Mustafi
Analysing the performances of recent signings is a task that many fans and analysts enjoy early on in the Premier League season. For Arsenal, supporters have had the pleasure of watching Lucas Perez and Granit Xhaka recently with varied results throughout their first experiences of English football.
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Shkodran Mustafi is another who fans have been allowed to scrutinise recently, and while his debut showed glimpses of a quality player, his follow-up audition midweek against Paris Saint-Germain displayed plenty of concerning signs.
Mustafi was one of many mistakes for Edinson Cavani’s 42-second goal. He never looked aware of the danger when Laurent Koscielny was dragged out of position and once more, lacked attentiveness and alertness when Cavani slipped in behind him as Serge Aurier whipped in a cross.
These are relatively elementary aspects of being a central defender and this weekend against Hull, if he does not respond with a solid performance, then the levels of criticism will rise and nervousness over Wenger’s investment in yet another centre-back will rise. Mustafi could be under pressure early – however stupid that may sound – and with Chelsea on the horizon, a good performance here is crucial for his early development.
BURNLEY, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Hull City’s Robert Snodgrass scores his sides equalising goal from an added time free kick right at the end of the game to make the score 1 – 1 during the Premier League match between Burnley and Hull City at Turf Moor on September 10, 2016 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Rich Linley/CameraSport via Getty Images)
2. Robert Snodgrass
For the lesser sides in the Premier League goals are often a problem. It is often the teams without a regular goalscorer that are unable avoid relegation and early in the season, it is uncertain where Hull City’s goal threat may come from.
Without a recognised, established striker (Diomande and Abel Hernandez are not good enough to score 10-15 Premier League goals) and new signing Mbokani still to settle into his new surroundings, goals are an issue for this Hull side. They have only scored five this season, despite having two wins and a draw, and on paper, their squad does not exactly excite.
One player, though, who much of Hull’s creativity and goal threat comes from is midfielder, Robert Snodgrass. An often undervalued and softly spoken Snodgrass is an intelligent player. Not relying on outstanding athletic ability, lethal finishing or silky skills, Snodgrass relies on his technique and his vision.
His experience and understanding means that he can play throughout the midfield, off both wings and in behind the striker. Arsenal should not concede to Hull on Saturday, but if the Tigers are to score, then Snodgrass will likely be involved at some point.
PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 13: Mesut Ozil of Arsenal FC reacts during the Champion’s League match against Arsenal FC at Parc des Princes on September 13, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
1. Mesut Ozil
Arsenal’s underwhelming start to the season has been littered with a variety of players unable to replicate their performances of past seasons. Defensively, Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin have not been as dependable, Olivier Giroud is still recovering from a variety of fitness and fatigue issues, while the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott are once again proving to be infuriatingly inconsistent.
One man who has been exempt from such criticism who has also played poorly recently is Mesut Ozil. Other than a sensational 45 minutes against Watford, Ozil has been unable to implement his same influence on games.
Partly due to Wenger’s setup with Alexis Sanchez as the central striker and partly due to the absence of Giroud, Ozil’s space with which he can work in has been severely reduced. Ozil requires weapons around him, players stretching the field both in terms of width and length, and thus far, Arsenal have been unable to provide such a scenario for Ozil.
Against Hull City, Ozil will once again be tasked with being Arsenal’s primary creator, but if he is not provided the space and the weapons with which he can work, then there is little that he can do.
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