Alexis' Exclusion a Head-Scratcher

Saturday’s draw with Tottenham will do nothing to quell the frustration of Arsenal supporters who remain adamant that Arsene Wenger committed an unforgivable error in not securing a top defensive midfielder in the summer.  Mathieu Flamini’s error was what directly caused Nacer Chadli’s opener, but the exclusion of Arsenal’s most expensive signing of the summer is the bigger-picture question we’ll all be asking going forward.  

I see Arsene Wenger’s reasoning behind keeping Alexis on the bench.  Naturally, a player which such inventiveness and pace would be the ultimate substitute.  His inclusion for the final third of the match saw a change in directness and quality from Arsenal, while every decision has it’s reasoning that may not meet the eye.  

It is important to understand who Alexis is as a footballer.  Always second-tune to Lionel Messi and company at Barcelona, Alexis’ direct style of play and individuality are what saw him become surplus to requirements a the Nou Camp.  He gives the ball away more than one would fancy, but that’s the element of risk in putting him in.

James McNicholas put it best today in labeling Alexis as a ‘soloist,’ which sums up his body of work on the pitch.  Alexis loves to square up to goal with the ball at his feet and take defenders on fearlessly.  At Barcelona, they prefer the free-flowing style of tiki-taka, so giving the ball to Alexis didn’t necessarily bode well for their run of play.  

At Arsenal, Alexis is more of a focal point on the field than he was with Barcelona, so the risk in putting him in is only magnified.  As opposed to Danny Welbeck, Alexis is prone to giving the ball away.  Welbeck was included in the side not just for his impact on the score sheet against Aston Villa, but also for his outstanding ball-retention and passing skills.  

On the other hand, taking a step back from the situation and looking at the bigger picture really makes one wonder how on earth he wasn’t included.  As an opposing manager, it has to be a welcome sight to see Alexis start on the bench; that in itself could warrant the Chileans inclusion in almost every big match.  

Rumblings out of Arsenal’s London Colney training ground suggested Alexis has the stamina and ambition of a six year old chugging green tea.  Two days after playing 90 minutes against Southampton, Alexis had to be told by several of the Arsenal players to ‘take it easy’ on what was supposed to be his second day of recovery.  

The eagerness and desire is there with the Chilean; that is something no one will ever doubt, so why not include him in a game of this magnitude?  Of all the things that have gone wrong for Arsenal this season so far, Alexis has been the biggest bright spot.  

Finally, a summer which saw Arsene Wenger fail to address the squad’s biggest need makes it hard to warrant the exclusion of the 35 million pound man.  ‘As long as the club isn’t going to spend money on the right players, why not play the ones they actually spent on?’ is a question many Gooners will be asking themselves after Saturday.  

Perhaps Alexis was a little too psyched up, or there’s something we don’t know about.  Regardless, it’s inexplicable for a player of his quality and energy to not be included in a game which calls for both in bulk

Round Four Story Lines

Who takes up Sturridge’s mantle?

Liverpool fans endured a roller coaster international break, seeing Raheem Sterling shine but Daniel Sturridge injured on duty with England.  Thus, Brendan Rodgers has some thinking to do prior to this weekends visit from Aston Villa.  

Rickie Lambert’s presence has changed games late on for Liverpool, but all eyes will be on Mario Balotelli if he is given the start at the weekend.  Balotelli, reportedly hauled off the pitch by Rodgers after stamping on a Wolves player last week, looked rusty in his return to the premier league, but should be ready to go on Saturday.  

It remains to be seen how Rodgers will line his team up.  Will he start Lambert, Balotelli, or both?  Raheem Sterling guarantees his inclusion after his performances with England, while Coutinho recently earned his first call up to the Selecao.  Lazar Markovic is gaining fitness, as is Adam Lallana.  Sturridge is one of the few Liverpool players with a guaranteed role in the side, so there’s no telling how Rodgers will alter his tactics in the absence of his talismanic striker.

Will Danny Welbeck make an impact?

I’ll beat this drum a little more.  Danny Welbeck looks set to feature as the main striker for Arsenal against Manchester City on saturday, his first test as a Gunner.  Barring some big risk-taking from Wenger, it looks like Welbeck will be the lone striker, so his impact could be limited against a team like City.  Unless Arsenal push numbers forward and give him support, I don’t see Welbeck making too much of an impact in such a big fixture.  

This will be Manchester City’s first big trip away from home, so I wouldn't be shocked to see Fernando and Fernandinho line up together in the middle, protecting Vincent Kompany and Martin Demichelis.  However, don’t count out a contribution from Englishman, who has the pace to get in behind the City defense, something Olivier Giroud will never have.

How will Chelsea deal with Swansea?

A home game to Swansea in round 4 of the league might not have been the most menacing prospect for Jose Mourinho several weeks ago.  Now, Swansea are second only to Chelsea in the league table and Gary Monk has his men firing on all cylinders.  

In retrospect, it’s not that surprising Swansea shocked Manchester United on the opening day of the season, but don’t expect the same at Stamford Bridge.  In the days following the instant-classic against Everton, Mourinho surely has been glued to his managerial duties in preparation for answering his three-goal critics.  

Swansea bring more attacking prowess to the table than Everton, but Chelsea are many peoples' title favorites for a reason.  At this point, it’s hard to see anyone outscoring Chelsea at home.

Will Louis Van Gaal earn his first win for United?

Yes.  Well, at least one would hope so when they host QPR on sunday.  Ander Herrera is fit after an opening day injury against Swansea, while Daley Blind, Radamel Falcao, and Marcos Rojo could all make their Manchester United debuts.  

On paper, United set the record for transfer window spending and now have a handful of top-class talents at the club.  The firepower Van Gaal brought in over the summer is unprecedented, but it remains to be seen if the players he has can produce results on the pitch.  

Angel Di Maria’s form for Argentina was spectacular in the rematch against Germany, and even Wayne Rooney performed well for England yesterday.  I reckon United win this one definitively, easing pressure on Van Gaal from all angles.  Falcao scoring off of a long-ball from Daley Blind would be dreamy for Red Devil fans.

Bounce back test for Spurs and Black Cats

Both Tottenham and Sunderland suffered poor defeats in round three.  Tottenham were thoroughly outclassed by Liverpool, while Sunderland granted QPR their first win of the season.  

Both squads are in need of a morale-boosting performance.  After their fast start fueled by the feel-good story of Eric Dier, Tottenham failed to solidify their identity as a top-four contender after a dismal home performance.  

Sunderland will be under more pressure at home, with new boy Jack Rodwell expected to make more of an impact the longer his tenure draws out with the Black Cats.  This early in the season, it is hard to call this game a must-win for either team, but the intensity of this contest should be nothing short of electrifying.

Power Rankings: Chelsea Overtake Stumbling City

Chelsea take the top spot in this weeks power rankings, while Stoke City and Aston Villa made the biggest leaps following their impressive wins at the weekend.  

1. Chelsea (2): Jose Mourinho’s men flexed their muscles at Goodison Park on Saturday, blowing away Everton at the tail end of a 6-3 thriller.  Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas have taken this team to the next level, while players already at the club have improved as well.  They’ve been the best team going into the international break, and are 100% deserving of the top spot. 

2. Liverpool (5): Many thought Sunday’s contest with Tottenham would be an even contest, but Liverpool stormed the gates of White Hart Lane to a 3-0 win.  There are always room for improvements, and it will take time for Mario Balotelli to re-acclimate himself with the league.  But, as Brendan Rodgers said this morning, Liverpool is not the Balotelli show, and they showed it.  

3. Manchester City (1): As surprising as the result was for Manchester City, it’s not shocking to see this team go missing for almost an entire game.  This happened several times last season in their road to the championship.  However, Manuel Pellegrini will have to go back to the drawing board in order to get his high-octane offense going once again.  

4. Swansea (6): Gary Monk has enjoyed nine points from nine for Swansea City to start the season.  Going into the international break, Nathan Dyer has given Roy Hodgson something to think about next time around; the winger was a revelation on Saturday, linking up nicely with Wilfried Bony, whose form and power make Michu a forgotten man in Wales.  

5. Southampton (7): For all the work he’s put in in the first three fixtures, there wasn’t a man more deserving of a goal than Graziano Pelle.  The Italian finished off a 3-1 road win at Upton Park which saw Morgan Schneiderlin pick up a brace that will surely ease the pain of being left behind to face the music at Southampton.  James Ward-Prowse is making this team click with his precision long-balls and ability to control the tempo of the game.  

6. Arsenal (4): A flat performance from the gunners saw them drop two points to new boys Leicester City.  The loss of Olivier Giroud is still having an impact on the team, but Danny Welbeck’s arrival should ease pressure off of Alexis Sanchez and the flailing Yaya Sanogo to produce goals from the tip of the attack.  

7. Tottenham (3): Just when we all thought Tottenham were for real, Liverpool came to town and swept them away 3-0 at White Hart Lane.  After two wins to start the year, Mauricio Pochettino has some thinking to do over the international break.  The talent is there for Spurs, but they must figure it out as a unit. 

8. Aston Villa (14): In a matchup of damage control after two respective mid-week losses, Aston Villa were the more resilient side against Hull City.  Andy Weimann continues his excellent start to league play, and Paul Lambert can rest easy during the international break.  Tom Cleverly will improve the side as Carlos Sanchez settles into life in England.  

9. Manchester United (11): I had to move Manchester United up in the rankings despite the disappointing away draw to Burnley because of what they did in the dying days of the transfer window.  Angel Di Maria was the Red Devils’ best player on the pitch Saturday, while Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao should further improve the starting XI.  

10. Stoke City (19): Going into the matchup, finding Jim Morrison alive would be more likely than Stoke City snatching all three points from the Etihad.  Thanks to some excellent organization and defending, especially from Ryan Shawcross, Stoke were able to pull off the deserved shocker against the holders.  

11. Everton (10): Everton were brutally exposed by Chelsea, but it shouldn’t deter Roberto Martinez’ men one bit.  Chelsea put six goals past Tim Howard, but there are plenty of positives to take from a match in which Everton wouldn’t stop clawing back.  The Toffees will look to bounce back in a fortnight when they head to the Hawthornes to take on West Brom.  

12. Crystal Palace (17): Times are looking up once again for Crystal Palace.  New manager Neil Warnock was rewarded a point against Newcastle by new signing Wilfried Zaha, who looks to re-vamp his post-United career. 

13. Burnley (15): Similar to Leicester City, Burnley had a chance to inflict damage on an already hurting club in the confines of their own stadium.  The point against United is a good one, but like their fellow new boys will regret not snatching three shocking points from a doable fixture.  

14. Hull City (12): Hull City endured a poor week, losing mid-week in the Capital One Cup, then falling 2-1 to Aston Villa.  Things could have been much worse for Steve Bruce, who say his Tigers thoroughly outplayed in the first half.  

15. Sunderland (9): Gus Poyet will regret not seeing his team go ahead early on, as they dominated the first portion of the match with QPR.  Overall, a disappointing result against a team who has scored one goal in three matches thus far this season.  

16. Leicester City (18): There are two sides of the coin to take from Sunday’s match with Arsenal.  Leicester City should be somewhat satisfied with a point against the Gunners, but will rue the opportunity to snatch three points against a top four team at home.  

17. West Ham (8): Sam Allardyce will not be happy with the atrocious defending on Southampton’s second goal, which saw the Saints catch the Hammers off guard from a corner.  After a big week two, West Ham are among the biggest fallers in this week’s rankings.  

18. Newcastle United (16): On the bright side, Rolando Aarons has arrived and could be a pleasant surprise for the Magpies this season.  On the not so light side, a late goal conceded cost Alan Pardew two valuable points in an otherwise outstanding contest from a neutral perspective.  

19. Queens Park Rangers (20): The highlight of the game was probably new signing Leroy Fer’s cannon off the crossbar, but other wise a huge step in the right direction for QPR.  Three points will ease pressure on Harry Redknapp, but more work is to be done if they are to stay in the league next season.  

20. West Brom (13): West Brom were thoroughly outplayed by Swansea City on Saturday, and because of it have fallen to the bottom of the rankings.  Swansea are off to a miraculous start, but the usually tough and physical Baggies were overrun by Gary Monk’s men.  

Defenders for the Future

The future is bright for these stars, some of whom have already featured in the top flight, but some who you may not be familiar with just yet.

Kenneth Omeruo, 20, Chelsea

Kenneth Omeruo probably has as much international experience as any 20-year old in the world.  The Nigerian started all four games for Nigeria in the World Cup, as well as every game in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, a competition the Super Eagles won for the third time.  

Omeruo, on loan at Middlesborough, was bought by Chelsea in 2012 and has yet to feature for the first team in England.  In addition to wonder-kid Kurt Zouma, Mourinho has two physically dominant center backs at his disposal for the future.  

Hector Bellerin, 19, Arsenal

Arsene Wenger always has a plan, and it’s easy to see how he envisions Arsenal’s future at right back.  With the departure of Bacary Sagna, Mathieu Debuchy was brought in to replace his compatriot as the first-choice right back.  However, Debuchy is 29 and merely a short-term replacement.  

Enter Bellerin, who is certain to feature for Arsenal in the coming years.  Bellerin recently claimed the ‘fastest gunner of all time’ title after beating Theo Walcott and Thierry Henry’s 40-yard mark, and impressed both defensively and in attack at the Emirates Cup.  The La Masia Academy product is flying through the ranks at Arsenal and could appear in the premier league much sooner than anyone expects him to.  

John Stones, 20, Everton

Some reckoned John Stones had an outside shot at making the plane to Brazil this summer, but we can definitely assume he will be in the mix four years from now.  As an understudy to premier league veterans Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka, Stones has improved on his already immense pedigree since joining Everton.  

Stones can also deputize for Seamus Coleman at right back, making him a versatile asset capable of filling a number of roles (he more than filled this role when Coleman was sidelined last year).  Roberto Martinez deserves all the credit in the world for plucking him out of Barnsley last summer, and the sky is the limit for this multifaceted young man.  

Calum Chambers, 19, Arsenal

Similar to Stones, Chambers can play both center back and right back.  It wouldn’t be a far reach to predict that the two youngsters could be England’s first-choice center backs one day, but like Stones, Chambers can also play wide right.  

Chambers was bought for 16 million pounds by Arsenal this summer, a hefty fee for a teenager with just 22 premier league appearances under his belt.  However, he has impressed thus far while Per Mertesacker regains fitness and Laurent Koscielny battles though an achilles injury.  

Matt Targett, 18, Southampton

Southampton endured a long and difficult summer in the transfer market, one which saw them lose half their starting lineup as well as their managar.  Similar to what Arsenal did, Southampton brought in short term cover at the left back position vacated by Luke Shaw.  Ryan Bertrand joined on a two year loan from Chelsea, but the future lies with Matt Targett.  

Targett joins Gareth Bale and Shaw as the latest of left backs to come up through the South.  A Southampton supporter born into a Southampton-mad family, Targett has incredible pace and explosiveness going forward.  Ronald Koeman has reportedly taken a liking to the teenager who impressed in a preseason which saw him earn a pair of starts at left back.  

Eric Dier, 20, Tottenham

Two weeks ago, I would have looked like a genius for putting Eric Dier on this list.  Now, it’s a formality.  Dier’s story is one of the more unique ones in football.  Born in England, Dier moved to Portugal at age ten with his mother when she was offered a catering job for the 2004 European Championships.  

After impressing in none other than P.E. class, Dier was referred to Sporting Lisbon scouts by his school instructor soon after moving there.  In 2010 at age 16, Dier, loyal as ever, turned down Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester United to stay in Portugal and play for the club who schooled him.  Now, the Englishman has returned to England and certainly made his presence felt with goals in each of his first two appearances for Tottenham.  Even as an Arsenal fan, Dier’s story puts a smile on my face.  

Youthful Impressions

James Ward-Prowse

Ward-Prowse was as good as advertised in the season-opener against Liverpool at the heart of Southampton’s midfield.  The 19-year-old Englishman imposed himself on the defensive midfield pairing of Gerrard and Lucas all afternoon, and delivered cutting-edge free kicks time and time again for the Saints.  He was full of energy and looks poised to take up the attacking mantle Adam Lallana left in the South.  Ward-Prowse looked extremely comfortable in front of Victor Wanyama and Morgan Schneiderlin, the former having a similarly impressive day.  

Ki Sung-Yueng

The South Korean midfielder showed everyone why Gary Monk needs to keep him around for the season.  Typical of his countryman Park Ji-Sung, Ki put in an energizing shift in the midfield, but also scored the first goal of the premier league season.  The goal he scored gives Swansea more promise for the season, as it’s usually a given that the 24 year old will give the necessary effort.  Ki was vital to the three points for Swansea who will be keen to further integrate the smooth-moving South Korean.  

Eric Dier

Dier’s journey is a very unique one, as the young Englishman started at the Sporting Lisbon youth academy at age nine.  Eleven years later, Dier made his premier league debut for Tottenham at right back, and scored the games only goal in extra time.  It was a fairytale ending to the day for the youngster, whose dream of playing in the premier league has finally been realized.  

Saido Berahino

Another talented young Englishman, Berhahino was the star of the show for West Brom against the hosts Sunderland.  He stepped up and buried a penalty for West Brom’s first, and scored a phenomenal volley for the second.  Berahino, 21, is an unsung English player who could feature for the Three Lions one day.  He is tied to the club until 2017, having just signed a new contract at the Hawthorns in December.  

Calum Chambers

Man of the match for me, Chambers proved me wrong after my comments on him earlier in the week.  I still think Arsenal need another center back, as Chambers would be more suited as a fourth center back while featuring in the defensive midfield more often.  However, the 19-year-old held his own in defense, but more impressively played the ball cooly and efficiently when stepping up into the midfield.  One wouldn’t have thought they were watching a teenager on Saturday, as his star could yet rise higher in the immediate future.