SM
Newcastle vs. Spurs: 12 hrs 44 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
AL
Champions League | Group Stage
Oct 1, 2013 at 7.45pm UK
 
NL

2-0

Ozil (8'), Giroud (15')
FT(HT: 2-0)

Match Analysis: Arsenal 2-0 Napoli

:Headline: Match Analysis: Arsenal 2-0 Napoli: ID:108504: from db_amp
Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at Arsenal's stunning 2-0 win over Napoli at the Emirates this evening.

Arsenal cruised to their 10th consecutive win of the season this evening with a breathtaking 2-0 win over Napoli at the Emirates.

The Gunners started the match very brightly and took the lead after just eight minutes when Mesut Ozil produced a stunning finish from the edge of the box having been found by Aaron Ramsey's pass.

Olivier Giroud added a second seven minutes later when Ozil stole in behind the defence before pulling the ball back to the striker to finish from close range.

Arsenal couldn't add to their tally but never looked in danger of letting their lead slip as they took control of Group F.

Here, Sports Mole takes a detailed look at what was a memorable night for Arsene Wenger 17 years to the day since he joined Arsenal.

Match statistics:

Arsenal:
Shots 9
On target 4
Possession 63%
Corners 6
Fouls 16

Napoli:
Shots 13
On target 1
Possession 37%
Corners 3
Fouls 17

Was the result fair?

Absolutely. In fact, Arsenal probably deserved to win by more. They started so brightly and Napoli were simply unable to deal with them in the early stages. They completely dominated the first half and quietly controlled the second as well, limiting Napoli to long range shots throughout. Rafael Benitez may point to the fact that both goals had a hint of a defensive error about them, but he couldn't deny that the Gunners were the better team by some distance tonight. A thoroughly deserved victory.

Arsenal's performance

Just scintillating. The Gunners were irresistible at times and played at a tempo that Napoli had no answer to. Their midfield - particularly Ramsey and Ozil -were untouchable at times and that was the basis for their victory. Wenger won't have seen too many better first-half performances than that during his 17 years at the helm, and they certainly sent a message out to the rest of Europe that they can still compete with the elite. They looked dangerous every time they went forward and never looked like conceding throughout. Arsenal have been steadily improving over recent weeks but if they are able to improve on tonight's performance then title talk may not be premature after all.

Napoli's performance

Very disappointing. They came to the Emirates as one of few teams that could match Arsenal's recent form, but they were simply blown away early on. The loss of Gonzalo Higuain to injure didn't help them, but not even he would have been able to do anything about the result today. Napoli were overrun in midfield, looked shaky at the back and didn't create anything up front. Credit must be given to Arsenal for their performance, but Napoli certainly made it easier for them with a poor display of their own. They didn't even seem too keen to overturn the deficit late on and looked to have settled for a 2-0 defeat. Benitez will bemoan defensive errors for both goals, but they simply weren't at the races today.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Mesut Ozil: It was between Ozil and Ramsey, but the German gets the nod if only for his sumptuous finish for the first goal. The duo ran the game and Ozil really showed by he is such a world-class player by performing brilliantly on a world-class stage. In addition to his goal he picked up an assist and was just a joy to watch throughout. If he keeps on putting performances like that in, he will repay his hefty transfer fee in no time.

Biggest gaffe

For all Arsenal played some lovely football, had Napoli defended half as well as they can do then it may have been a completely different game. The biggest gaffe came in the build-up to the second goal when a failed clearance from a Napoli defender hit his own man, allowing the ball to fall to Giroud who gave it to Ozil. The German then went on to set up the French striker, who made it 2-0 from close range.

Referee performance

Despite the relatively high foul count, Milorad Mazic didn't have an awful lot to do tonight. He made a few decision that would have been questioned had he been in the Premier League, but the Champions League is generally considered to have slightly different ideals than the English game. He had no major decisions and, for the most part, could just sit back and enjoy the show that Arsenal put on.

What next?

Arsenal: Arsenal will look to make it 11 wins on the trot when they travel to the Hawthorns to face West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

Napoli: Napoli, meanwhile, will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host Livorno in Serie A, also on Sunday.

amp_article__108504 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2013-10-02 11:26:06:
html db last update - 2021-03-02 03:56:26 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CManchester CityMan City38287396346291
2Arsenal38285591296289
3Liverpool382410486414582
4Aston Villa382081076611568
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs382061274611366
6Chelsea381891177631463
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle381861485622360
8Manchester UnitedMan Utd38186145758-160
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham381410146074-1452
10Crystal Palace381310155758-149
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton381212145562-748
12Bournemouth38139165467-1348
13Fulham38138175561-647
14Wolverhampton WanderersWolves38137185065-1546
15Everton38139164051-1140
16Brentford38109195665-939
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3899204967-1832
RLuton TownLuton3868245285-3326
RBurnley3859244178-3724
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd38372835104-6916
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .