Arsène Wenger readies Arsenal for ‘win at all costs’ clash with Besiktas

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/17/arsenal-crystal-palace-premier-league-match-report

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Arsenal’s players were still glowing in the aftermath of Aaron Ramsey’s stoppage-time winner, a prod from a few yards out that maintains this team’s momentum, as they departed the Emirates on Saturday, although Arsène Wenger had already moved on. His squad touch down in Istanbul on Monday for what has become their annual awkward Champions League qualifier. “We are desperate to go through, no matter what it costs,” said the manager. Besiktas will feel much the same way.

A year ago they breezed beyond Fenerbahce, of Istanbul, at this stage. This time around, back in the same city, they face Slaven Bilic’s side, a team supplemented by the £6m arrival from Chelsea of Demba Ba, a player Arsenal coveted last August. The Senegalese has already scored a hat-trick for his new club, to knock out Feyenoord in the previous qualifying round. In that context, Wenger will be pained to be travelling light in defence, with Kieran Gibbs absent due to a hamstring injury and doubts surrounding Laurent Koscielny’s involvement.

The France centre-half flicked in the hosts’ equaliser, drifting away from Crystal Palace’s defence to meet Alexis Sánchez’s set-piece delivery, but limped away from a victory that owed more to perseverance than prowess after a recurrence of a long-standing achilles problem. Per Mertesacker was not scheduled to return until next weekend – he, along with the squad’s other World Cup winners, Mesut Özil and Lukas Podolski, was granted an extended break – but is now expected to travel to provide cover if Koscielny cannot feature. The teenage defender Héctor Bellerín, too, should make the trip.

“We will assess him [Koscielny] and, if he is capable of playing, I will play him,” said Wenger, who saw Koscielny and the outstanding Calum Chambers excel. “I planned to bring the Germans back in contention for Everton but, in case of emergency, I will take Mertesacker. It’s a bit early for him – ideally he would need one more week’s preparation – but he’s willing to play. The Gibbs situation makes it even more [significant]. We have Bellerín, who is 19 but a player I am certain can come in, but we are a bit short. I have Ignasi Miquel as well who can travel. We will see – I hope that Koscielny responds well.”

Besiktas will have noted Arsenal’s vaguely familiar vulnerability from set plays, the way Brede Hangeland could amble away from Sánchez and into a cluttered six-yard box to flick in the goal which briefly left Wenger’s men fearing a repeat of last season’s opening-day home defeat to Aston Villa. The Turks may also be relieved that this Arsenal team still feel one world-class striker shy of a true, persuasive force. Radamel Falcao scored here for Monaco in the recent Emirates Cup, and Arsenal could not be ignored with a forward of his calibre leading their line. The fear is that Wenger may consider Sánchez, such a talent but one who will need time to adapt to new surroundings, their only significant forward addition of the summer with attention focusing now on a midfielder and a back-up centre-half.

They huffed and puffed, sometimes rather frantically, against a physically strong and imposing Palace team who maintained all the industrious standards of the departed Tony Pulis, and whose resilience only cracked, uncharacteristically, at a pair of set pieces. They conceded from free-kicks and corners only once under Pulis but, following Koscielny’s equaliser, Ramsey’s winner was converted in the second phase after a corner. The Welshman has started this term as he did the last and is fast becoming this side’s talisman.

“He reminds me a little bit of [Cesc] Fábregas when he was here,” said Mikel Arteta. “At his best, he was coming off the front, making the final ball and scoring very important goals. Aaron’s confidence is really high at the moment, physically he can do whatever he wants and technically he is in a very good state, so he is one of the most important players in the team. He will get better with experience, with knowledge and confidence. When you have a player like this coming from midfield to score that many goals, it gives you something extra.

“People have a fear now with him because they know he can create things and that gives you an extra yard. We don’t really have a 30 or 40 goalscorer at the moment so to have players who can score goals from the middle of the park is very important.”

Arsenal needed Ramsey to secure their winning start against a stubborn Palace team. They may well need him to make his mark against Besiktas if the tie is to be negotiated safely.

Man of the match Calum Chambers (Arsenal)