Team Focus: Can Arsenal Cope Against Olympiakos Without Fundamental Core?

It is a match of fundamental importance, but also one that shows a fundamental crux with Arsene Wenger’s entire management of Arsenal.

When Arsenal were at their best, a few weeks before tonight’s decisive Champions League fixture away to Olympiakos, it was because the manager had impressively built his team up to his ideal. A preferred first XI had been perfectly integrated into a sleek style of football, to the point they were instinctively pulling off moves of marvellous slickness. There was just such a brilliant rhythm to them. It was this process that was the root of successes like the 2002 double and the invincible season, and was here the root of so many rampant multi-goal wins.

Now, he’s once again without so many of that preferred first XI because of yet another injury crisis, but must somehow record another multi-goal win. Arsenal have to beat Olympiakos by two goals to stay in the Champions League, so probably have to rediscover some of that attacking rhythm.

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One big problem right through Wenger’s time in charge, though - going right back to his earliest days at the club - is that his Arsenal have never had the same number of failsafes when they are denied the manager’s ideal; when that rhythm is disrupted. It leads to a much more porous team than it should, and one without that hard-edged bite.

Some differences have already become apparent between games from separate spells of this season. Compare, for example, the 3-0 win away to Watford in October with the 3-1 win over Sunderland at the weekend. The first gradually built to a fearsome crescendo, where they blew Watford away. The second was much more stilted.

Against Watford, Arsenal played 16 key passes, dribbled 18 times, and made 21 interceptions. Against Sunderland, they played 14 key passes, dribbled only nine times, and made just 16 interceptions.

Some of this is obviously dependent on the style of the team they play but Arsenal at their best generally impose their game on the opposition, and are just so much swifter in everything they do. They had to make more tackles against Sunderland, at 20 against 17, and that is possibly because they weren’t as snappier at intercepting, at taking that initiative we associate with Wenger’s best form.

Of course, to start recovering that rhythm, they’re going to have to first rediscover a balance in the centre. There is a big equation to solve here. Consider the issues arising from the injuries. In Francis Coquelin, Arsenal have lost their main ball-winner. In Santi Cazorla, Arsenal have lost their main ball-mover. In Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal have also lost their main mover and match-winner.

That is some combination to be missing just at the point when Wenger’s side have to do more than just win, and especially when they seem to suffer from such losses more than most. It leads to a bigger drop than in other sides, so they are going to have to raise it.

Mathieu Flamini clearly doesn’t have Coquelin’s combativeness, making just 1.5 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game compared to 3.2 and 2.7 respectively from his younger compatriot, so that could leave Arsenal more exposed when they need to pour forward. With Aaron Ramsey again set to replace Santi Cazorla in the middle, though, the hope for Wenger must be that the Welsh player’s thrust and impetus is actually the right tone to set for this game. He doesn’t have the passing precision of the Spaniard, with a pass success of 86.5% against Cazorla’s 90.3%, but then this might just be a game where greater risks are required.

Ramsey has been subdued since returning from injury but, if he can start offering some of his usual bursts from midfield - as he did at the weekend, mustering 7 shots at goal - it could begin to break Olympiakos open. That could further play on the Greek side’s minds, as Wenger attempted to amp up the pressure by pointing out how circumstances could get the better of them.

“At the moment, they are qualified, but let us not forget they can lose what they have and that can create a fear factor. Of course, we have a history where we have positive results. We have won everywhere in Europe, we know we can do it, so the best way is to go through with a top quality performance and that is what we must focus on. We have to adapt to what is happening on the pitch, face the scenarios, accept it and respond.”

That will be of fundamental importance, given that Wenger is being denied the fundamental core of his team.

Will Arsenal manage to get the margin of victory they need in Greece to progress to the Champions League knockout stages? Let us know in the comments below