MAN CITY vs. LIVERPOOL

3-1
Monday 25th August 2014

Bank Holiday Monday produced the first high profile clash of the season as Champions Manchester City continued their solid title defense with a convincing win over struggling Liverpool. Despite starting slowly, two goals from in-form Stevan Jovetic and a cameo from Sergio Aguero were enough to give the Sky Blues a comfortable 3-1 win. A Pablo Zabaleta own goal in the dying minutes did nothing to revive Liverpool who ended the game with 10 players after Glen Johnson withdrew through injury. 

THE SYSTEMS

Both sides lined up very similarly to their opening weekend victories with City fielding two strikers again, omitting the link up man normally seen in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Liverpool again played an incredibly fluid 4-3-3 system, a staple of Brendan Rodgers' style.While, last week, the midfield trio of Gerrard, Lucas and Henderson took turns to make forward runs, this week it was almost always Henderson, as Gerrard and Joe Allen held their places in front of the back four. In possession Gerrard would often step between Lovren and Skrtel and move the ball out of defense, almost in the sweeper role. Meanwhile the front three of Sterling, Sturridge and Coutinho contiued their impressive link up and switched positions freely; when one moves wide the others take it upon themselves to make traditional strikers' runs off the shoulder of the last man, and Gerrard found Sterling in the box on the 9th minute. The 19 year old England man was unable turn and get a shot away. 

For the first half an hour the two sides largely cancelled each other out and both were attacking largely through the middle of the park. It looked as though it would be the first side to utilise their wide men that would make the break through. The battle was being played out in midfield and, while Yaya Toure and Fernando had the class and power to control the middle third, Liverpool were outnumbering City. Both teams misplaced a large number of passes and, for long spells, there was very little to report. That all changed in the 41st minute as City's wide players finally got into the game. Silva exploited gaping hole in the Liverpool defensive line and the ball fell kindly to Jovetic who capitalised on a lapse in concentration from Liverpool's debutante left-back, Moreno, to blast the ball under Mignolet in the Liverpool goal.

City made Liverpool wait in the cold for a long time before emerging for the second half and looked the far superior team from the 46th minute until the 90th. Manuel Pellegrini's team talk may well have been about working more as a unit in the remainder of the game, and City moved in swathes of blue throughout the half, seldom attacking with fewer than six men forward, and always having a minimum of eight behind the ball until they won it back. This meant that their missing 'No. 10' was no longer an obstacle as, even on fast paced counter attacks, every City player had an option. 

Sometimes, in football, though, tactics come second to quality. There was, technically speaking, very little Brendan Rodgers could have done differently and the perfect pass from Nasri to Silva for the first goal, as well as Navas' expertly weighted ball to Aguero (whose unerring finish came only 23 seconds after he came off the bench) proved that there is only so much a great system can do for a team lacking in, or coming up against, true class. Liverpool will improve as their back line grow more familiar with each other, and begin to listen to Dejan Lovren, who looks increasingly like a future club captain already. They will also be invigorated by the debuts of Adam Lallana and a certain Mr. Balotelli as they struggled for real creativity in the areas around the City penalty box. City's performance will worry their title contenders, though, as Fernando looks stronger with every minute and their core players have picked up this season's Premier League campaign where they left off in May. 

THE MOMENT

Having world class strikers, a great goalkeeper and exciting wingers is one thing, but nothing compares to a combined team hunger. City's midfield proved just how serious they are about retaining the title throughout the game: They worked consistently as a unit and their willingness to play for each other came through in their victory.

A great example of this team attitude came in the 63rd minute. With Moreno picking up possession on the left wing, around the half way line, and Lazar Markovic moving inside to receive a pass, City hounded the Spanish left back as if they were a goal down in stoppage time. Goalscorer Stevan Jovetic, Fernando and Jesus Navas boxed Moreno in and forced him to play the ball back to Lovren, meaning Liverpool had to build from the back again. 

UNSUNG HERO

The only City striker not to score in the game, Edin Dzeko had a key part to play in both of the first two goals. These examples are exactly what 'Unsung Analysis' is all about as, despite not chalking up any goals or assists, City's win may very well not have come about without the selfless contribution of the Bosnian striker. He withdrew with a leg injury in the second half and was replaced by Aguero who immediately got on the scoresheet, but it would not serve to ignore his role in the first two goals.

For the opener, he single handedly occupied Johnson, Skrtel and Lovren and left a massive hole in the Liverpool defense for Silva and Jovetic to exploit. For the second, his run across the face of goal to the near post dragged Glen Johnson into the middle of the box and, again, left acres of empty space behind him for Jovetic to stroll into and apply to finish. Johnson nearly cleared off the line, but, having followed Dzeko far too far, he was unable to keep the ball out. 

By Robbie Brown

NEXT TIME

Next weekend we will be covering what sounds like the debut of the most expensive player in British football history as Angel di Maria should be a Manchester Utd. player in time to take on Burnley on Saturday lunchtime. Does he have what it takes to transform the fortunes of the 20 times champions after their lacklustre start to the season? All will be revealed on Saturday.

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TOTTENHAM vs. QPR

4-0
Sunday 24th August 2014

On an early weekend of big clashes, this London derby had the added spice of being Harry Redknapp's return to White Hart Lane, facing up against a Spurs team that barely resembles the one he left behind in 2012. His QPR side, experimenting with a new system introduced largely by Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle, were taught a lesson at the hands of a rampant Tottenham front four. 

There's plenty for Harry to tighten up at Loftus Road and possibly a few faces to add before next week's fixture against Sunderland. Spurs, meanwhile, can go home happy that the Pochettino regime has started with two victories that see them take the top spot in the Premier league overnight. 

THE SYSTEMS

Spurs lined up in a straightforward 4-2-3-1, allowing the three attacking players behind Adebayor to switch positions and roam freely around the attacking third. This caused QPR's new three man back line a host of problems as the wing-back pairing of Traore and Isla were perpetually caught between not committing enough to attacks, and being too far forward when the away team lost possession, as they did with unerring frequency in the middle of the park. 

With the physical presence of Adebayor enough to give even the best centre backs nightmares, Spurs probed constantly in behind the wing backs and delivered their first warning within ten minutes. With the lively Danny Rose tying up Isla, and Eriksen darting into the box, space opened up for Nabil Bentaleb to pick out the Togolese striker, who headed narrowly over the bar from eight yards. This warning went unheeded, though, as, only a few minutes later, Spurs took the lead. With Dunne sucked towards Adebayor as the ball came across, and Traore nowhere to be seen, Chadli had time and space in the box to finish expertly from a tight angle. 

QPR, meanwhile, couldn't get moving and repeatedly threw away possession around the half way line. The Spurs holding partnership of Bentaleb and Capoue did their jobs to the letter, allowing the Rs to keep the ball up to half way, and then squeezing them into corridors of white shirts, with the help of the retreating Eriksen, Lamela and Chadli. New signing Leroy Fer was a spectator throughout the first half and the only chance fell to to Matty Phillips, who blazed over from ten yards out. Spurs looked like scoring every time they got the ball; the pace of their front four was too much for the ill positioned QPR defence. Rio Ferdinand did everything he could to marshal Dunne and Caulker, and was often there to clean up behind them, but QPR got deeper and deeper and ended up defending on their own goal line for the latter part of the first period. Meanwhile the Spurs midfield continued to cut off all the Rs passing angles, forcing them to play long balls which were easily dealt with by Vertonghen and Kaboul. 

After the break Redknapp switched to a back four, and while Ferdinand and Caulker looked far more comfortable, Barton, Mutch and Fer were no more able to create anything of note. They pressed higher up and reduced Spurs' attacks to a series of long balls. Moussa Dembele replaced Bentaleb to freshen up the Spurs midfield and maintain their record of consistently winning almost every 50/50 ball that came their way. QPR were still, though, susceptible to the fast break, and Adebayor capped the win with a smart finish long after the game had ended as a contest. 

THE MOMENT

It's sad to see, but one of England's best defenders is on his last legs. Rio Ferdinand's mind and mouth will be of vital importance to QPR this year, especially if they continue to force the five man back line, but his pace disappeared long ago. Nine times out of ten when the camera pans to Ferdinand you will see him shouting instructions, pointing and pulling and bellowing teammates into position, but it seems his body has caught up with him as he was the culprit for James Chester's headed goal for Hull last week and again struggled against the likes of Lamela, Eriksen and Adebayor. 

He was exposed in the middle of the first half as he stepped up to try and steal the ball from Lamela - the Argentine was gone before he got close to the ball and Rio was booked for the resulting foul. Eriksen smashed the freekick against the crossbar while Ferdinand reflected on the fact that he is operating now exclusively as a defensive general. Organiser and leader yes, but Rio is no longer the heartbeat of the back line he was ten years ago. 

UNSUNG HERO

Behind every swashbuckling front line there has to be a safety net. Bayern Munich can risk losing the ball because they know Bastian Schweinsteiger will win it back, for example. Today Spurs were no different as Etienne Capoue gave them the perfect platform on which to build. 

Despite being out for long periods of last season, Spurs fans warmed immediately to Capoue and today he showed them why. A perfect blend of physicality, fearless tackling, technique, poise and a great eye for a pass, he won and recycled possession continuously and effortlessly all game long. If he keeps this level up and stays free of injury, Capoue will soon be regarded as being as important for Spurs as Yaya Toure is for City. 

By Robbie Brown

NEXT TIME

The first true six pointer of the season takes place tomorrow night at the Etihad as champions Man City take on Liverpool in what promises to be a fascinating tactical battle between two of the league's best. Stay tuned. 

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LIVERPOOL vs. SOUTHAMPTON

2-1

Sunday 17th August 2014

When the draw was made this game stood out as having the potential to be the tie of the opening weekend. Not only are they the two overachieving teams of last season, but Liverpool and Southampton have been in almost constant negotiations ever since the final day of the 2013/14 league in May. Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren have all moved to the north-west, and this was Southampton's opportunity to prove that, despite losing their manager to Spurs, and a quite extraordinary exodus of their top players, they could still cause the big teams trouble. 

Liverpool came away with spoils after a late strike by Daniel Sturridge won it, with goals coming from Raheem Sterling in the first half, and the Saints' equaliser via Nathaniel Clyne early in the second. It was a performance to be proud of for the side from the south coast, though, as new manager Ronald Koeman nearly inspired Southampton to a surprise victory at Anfield. 

THE SYSTEMS

Both sides turned out in very fluid 4-3-3 formations which changed shape throughout the game, according to match scenario, pressure and possession. Liverpool's was particularly interesting, as Brendan Rodgers' confidence in his midfield three of Gerrard, Lucas and Henderson shone through in their positional play. In possession, captain Steven Gerrard would roam the field, finding space in deep areas to provide options for the back four to pass into while also joining the attack when opportunity allowed. The fluidity was best on show, though, when Liverpool moved forward as a team. 

The front three of Coutinho, Sterling and Sturridge all played relatively free roles and gave trouble to the Southampton back line by switching marker and running an incredible range of angles. On top of this, Liverpool always committed an additional player from their midfield three, which demanded impressive discipline from the remaining two. When Henderson stepped forward, Gerrard and Lucas held back, when Gerrard moved up, Henderson retreated, and so on. With wide threats constantly posed by Glen Johnson and new signing Javier Manquillo, Rodgers had obviously made it clear that the holding pair needed to be able to provide adequate cover for the defence, should the Saints have broken free. 

In the early exchanges Southampton were given two clear warnings that the Liverpool forwards were always looking to get in behind, with Sturridge almost finding Sterling in the 7th minute, and Gerrard coming within inches of picking out Sturridge in the 9th. Southampton's notorious pressing game from last year was not in effect, and it showed. With very little pressure on the ball around the halfway line they were hoping that they could build fast counters around the pace of Ward-Prowse and new boy Dušan Tadić. But this meant that the Liverpool playmakers always had time to pick their pass, and, as expected, Henderson set up Sterling with an immaculate through ball on the 23 minute mark. 

The Southampton system was not dissimilar, but, perhaps because of the recent coming together of the squad and manager, for the opening 45 minutes they simply were not as well drilled. The midfield three were often over committed in attack and the forward thinking full back pairing of Clyne and Bertrand were often caught out by the ever chopping and changing Liverpool front four. Likewise, while the excellent Victor Wanyama showed the discipline to hold his position in front of the back line, his midfield cohorts Schneiderlin and Davis were too often pressing forward and not willing, or not fit enough, to get back in time with the Merseyside team's attacking onrush. That all seemed to change after the break as, in the second period, the holes tightened up and Wanyama was supported more fiercely by Davis in the middle of the park. After Clyne's goal, set up by a beautiful backheel from the exciting Tadić, Liverpool became guilty of over-committing themselves and, for long spells in the second half, the Saints looked the more likely to nick it. Joe Allen replaced Lucas and holes began to appear in the Liverpool midfield before both teams switched to a 4-4-2 with Shane Long replacing Tadić and Lambert making his Liverpool debut in place of Coutinho, who saw little of the ball once Wanyama began to man mark him. This was telling as Lambert's physicality forced Southampton deeper when challenging for aerial balls, and it was this that allowed Sturridge to stay onside and finish the game in the 79th minute with a simple close range finish. 

THE MOMENT

Southampton gave a performance full of grit and determination and were unlucky to come away from Anfield empty handed, and no player deserved a point or three for his performance more than the fantastic Victor Wanyama. He drew far too much praise from the commentary team to be today's Unsung Hero, but his challenge on Steven Gerrard in the 37th minute after Forster had gambled on leaving his box and given the ball straight to the Liverpool legend, couldn't be left unmentioned. 

With Liverpool already a goal to the good and Southampton's lines stretched in search of an equaliser, gifting Gerrard a goal on the verge of halftime could have signaled the end of the game as a contest. Instead this perfectly timed challenge was the start of an attacking move from the away side, and allowed them to go in at the break with the game still within touching distance. 

UNSUNG HERO
Not an easy choice in this game by any stretch but, for pure positional awareness and defensive discipline, Liverpool's holding midfielder Lucas is today's Unsung Hero. 

While some Liverpool fans took to Twitter to lament his starting berth in the side, Lucas went about his business confidently and quietly and allowed Gerrard and Henderson to take turns moving into the attacking third of the pitch. He also worked hard to cover for Glen Johnson when the full back charged forward, taking up excellent positions that forced Southampton counters to slow, and giving the Reds time to regroup at the back. Having been replaced after an hour by Joe Allen, Lucas was missed in the final thirty minutes and the gaps that opened up in his place could have allowed Southampton, on another day, to snatch the points.

By Robbie Brown

NEXT TIME
That wraps up the first full weekend of League fixtures with only Chelsea and Burnley left to play tomorrow. We are now looking forward to next week's clash between Everton and Arsenal on Saturday evening in the forthcoming edition of Unsung Analysis. 

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MANCHESTER UTD. vs. SWANSEA CITY

1-2

Saturday 16th August 2014

The mood in Manchester was optimistic and energised. It was to be the start of Manchester United's rehabilitation under the Iron Tulip, Louis van Gaal. This time last year David Moyes helmed a 4-1 away victory against the same opposition but nobody gave Garry Monk's team the script as they battled to a 2-1 win with goals from Ki Sung-Yeung and Gylfi Sigurdsson either side of half time. New club captain Wayne Rooney equalised for the Red Devils. 

The United boss has admitted that his first three months in a new job have historically been weak but it is a case of 'different manager; same result' at Old Trafford. Fans and pundits alike have been declaring that United's challenge relies solely on the signings they bring in: namely a powerful leader at the back and a midfield general. The names Marcos Rojo, Arturo Vidal, Angel Di Maria and Mats Hummels (among about three hundred others) have been linked to a move to the North West of England but whether Ed Woodward can bring them in remains to be seen.

Welcome to the Premier League, Louis van Gaal.

THE SYSTEMS

As expected, United turned out in the much discussed 3-4-3 / 5-2-1-2 system that brought so much success in pre-season. The interesting thing about playing three at the back is the ability to stretch the pitch when on the ball before turning compact when defending. The high press of the United team when not in possession, a tactic favoured by van Gaal, has cover in each position. By spreading the back three of Jones, Blackett and Smalling, United were providing a platform for the wing backs to push forward. 
Hit the young defence with a quick counter, though, and holes start to appear. Early on Lingard was found on his heels when a diagonal ball from Shelvey saw Routledge get the run on the debutante but the Swansea winger couldn't bring the ball under control. It was a sign that Lingard (nominally a striker) playing at right wing back is a gamble from the new manager and somewhere Swansea could exploit. The warning went unheeded, though, as Swansea capitalised on some defensive naivete from Blackett and affirmed United's susceptibility to a pacey counter. 

Swansea set up in a 4-2-3-1 system and were content to allow the hosts possession, recycle it, and break very quickly through Dyer and Sigurdsson backed up by the passing range of Jonjo Shelvey. Wilfried Bony playing as a lone striker is always a game of patience against two centre backs but against three, he cut an ostensibly peripheral figure.   

The second half saw Nani replace Hernandez and the United eleven revert to a back 

four, playing a 4-4-1-1/4-2-3-1. The change was to accommodate the change in personnel, better facilitate the high press and give more weight to the United midfield, with Herrera and Fletcher overrun and out of position repeatedly in the first period. It only took seven minutes after the restart for United to restore parity and the change of shape seemed to have worked immediately. Januzaj's introduction for injured Lingard galvanised the hosts' right flank. Where Lingard was tentative, the young Belgian was fearless and direct; taking every opportunity to run at Neil Taylor. A decent delivery from Mata was flicked on via a Jones near post run and a great bit of improvisation from the unmarked Wayne Rooney saw the scores levelled. For long spells thereafter United had the bit between their teeth with Januzaj still full of running and Rooney, boosted by his goal, beginning to orchestrate the attack. 

But then it all changed again. Jones and Smalling were caught flat footed from a Swansea free kick and Young, not so adept as an out and out left back, misjudged the flight of Montero's cross, allowing Routledge to set up Sigurdsson for the winner. 

THE MOMENT

Swansea captain Ashley Williams put in a man of the match performance, epitomised by his series of clearing headers in the final minutes of the game as United attempted in vain to find the head of Fellaini as the seconds ticked away. 

But the moment that summed up his afternoon came at 1-1 as he made an incredible last ditch recovering tackle on Rooney who had already turned him inside out and nutmegged him on the edge of the box. The new Red Devils captain would have put his side into a commanding 2-1 lead that Swansea surely would not have recovered from had his opposite number, Swans captain Williams, not produced a stunning lunge that put the ball out for a corner. This show of commitment provided the base for Swansea to go up the other end and score the winner minutes later. 

UNSUNG HERO

It will be a rare occurrence on this blog, one would imagine, that the winning team's lone striker will be worthy of an 'Unsung Hero' award. Swansea's Wilfried Bony's performance this afternoon, though, was a display of selflessness, guile and experience which had a much bigger impact on the result than meets the eye. Throughout the game his movement off the ball created space for Swansea's three attacking midfielders to exploit, be it by sucking the United defence into the box and leaving space behind the wing backs, or by dragging Jones, Smalling and Blackett towards the byline, leaving space for Sigurdsson or Ki to run into for the goals. 

Nowhere was his footballing mind so well displayed, however, as his block on Phil Jones in the lead up to the first goal of the game.  

Bony didn't touch the ball at any point during the build up to the goal but his careful positioning allowed Ki's placed finish to find the corner, as he turned Jones' tackle away from the path of the ball. It falls well within the rulebook as Bony didn't step out of his natural path or make any movement directly towards the onrushing defender, but rather stood his ground and granted his teammate the time and space to fire the away side into the lead. Textbook unsung brilliance. 

By Kwaku Osei-Afrifa and Robbie Brown

NEXT TIME

You don't have long to wait for your next installment of Unsung Analysis as last year's nearly-boys Liverpool show of their newlook squad against the team from which they bought three players over the summer, dark horses Southampton. It promises to be an intriguing clash tomorrow, as two of the most changed teams of the new season square up. 

ARSENAL VS MANCHESTER CITY

3-0

Sunday 10th August 2014

So, as is tradition, Sunday saw last years' Premier League and FA Cup winners go head to head in what is affectionately known as the 'curtain raiser' to the new season, the FA Community Shield. It was Arsenal's day in the end, with first half goals from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey, followed by a spectacular strike from Olivier Giroud early in the second period enough to see off a lackluster Manchester City. What does it mean in the long run? Very little. But it was a statement of intent from Arsenal whose new signing Alexis Sanchez did enough to suggest that the Gunners are well on their way to being genuine contenders for the league for the first time in almost a decade. 

Let's get down to the nitty gritty:

THE SYSTEMS

Arsenal took early control of the game, recording 70% of possession in the opening twenty minutes. They were patient and creative with the ball, and operated an exceedingly high press without it, which meant that City were forced to rush their attacking game at times, and were forced backwards on a number of occasions just to retain possession. In fact Arsenal retrieved the ball within the City half on eight occasions in the opening quarter of an hour. 

The reason this was so easy for Arsene Wenger's men was that they had City outnumbered in vital areas of the pitch. The Gunners relied on their full backs to provide width, which allowed the front four of Alexis, Ramsey, Cazorla and Sanogo to clog up the central area of the field, often joined by the outstanding Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshire. 

City, on the other hand were operating, unusually for them, with two out and out strikers. While Jovetic and Dzeko toiled with a series of fruitless off the ball runs, City struggled to bring wide men Samir Nasri and Jesus Navas into the game. The lack of a number ten (or at least a deeper lying striker) meant that there was no link between the holding midfield pairing of a slightly out of shape looking Yaya Toure and the struggling, oft out of position Fernando, brought in for £12m from Porto this summer. Toure usually loves to burst forward but such was Arsenal's attacking intensity, he and Fernando were committed to shielding the back line, and City were often forced to slow their build up, allowing Arsenal to regain composure and organisation at the back. 

Arsenal's energy, attacking in numbers and high press meant that they could easily exploit City's systematic weaknesses and they made the Champions pay by twice unpicking them in the first half. David Silva's introduction after the break was clearly intended to link up City's defense and attack, and he had an immediate impact, creating City's best chance of the game around the 50 minute mark. The introduction of Flamini, along with Arteta's superb man marking, quickly saw him kept effectively out of the action, though. 

Even in the second half, City were not committing enough men forward in attack, with the wide players offered scant support when the ball eventually made its way out to them. 

Arsenal's experienced Koscielny and the exciting young Calum Chambers had more than enough in their respective lockers to deal with crosses into the box while Szczesny quietly went about his business in a manner that suggests he is not fearing that his place in the side may be under threat despite the signing of the Columbian David Ospina.

Giroud's 25 yard strike capped the day for Arsenal just as they started to show signs of fatigue, and, with that, the game slowed to a ponderous tempo as both sides prioritised a clean bill of health ahead of next weeks opening round of league matches.

THE MOMENT

Throughout the game Mikel Arteta was looking like my first ever Unsung Hero, but then he started performing so eye-catchingly that he couldn't qualify. The new Arsenal captain, after the departure of Thomas Vermaelen to Barcelona, neutralised the threat of David Silva within a minute of the Spaniard's opening contribution, and City's attacking maestro barely featured in the game from that moment on. 

The key moment came around the 73rd minute as Szczesny made his only mistake of the game. Mis-hitting a routine pass, the Arsenal keeper played the ball directly to Silva around the Arsenal 18 yard box. Silva, though, barely had time to get the ball under control before Arteta had it off him, cleanly, efficiently and quietly. It could have been the beginning of a City comeback, but in the end, it came to nothing at all.

In a midfield packed with flair, pace and excitement, Arteta looks a little out of place at Arsenal these days. Wilshire and Flamini are excellent at dealing with danger in the middle of the pitch, but what Arsenal have lacked, arguably since Viera, is a player who can spot the danger and alert his teammates to it before the opposition can punish them. His experience could be vital to Arsenal if they are to maintain a serious title challenge this year. 

UNSUNG HERO

This, in all honesty, could have gone to either of the Arsenal full backs who played a vital role providing width throughout the game and allowing the three attacking midfielders to move inside and congest the middle of the park. At a pinch, though, it has to go to Kieran Gibbs. 

While new signing Debuchy offered more going forward and played some wicked crosses in the opening twenty minutes, Gibbs went about his duties with all the calm of a player more than accustomed to playing against world class talent on the Wembley stage. Rarely out of position, despite bombing forward and linking up nicely with Ramsey and Cazorla on a number of occasions, Gibbs handled Jesus Navas with ease in the first half and stayed alert to the threats and trickery of Silva and the guile and consistency of Milner throughout the game. So assertively did he go about his business, in fact, that I can't seem to find an image of him anywhere near the trophy; everything an Unsung Hero should be!

All in all the Community Shield always means a lot to the team that wins it, and is disregarded as nothing but a mere pre-season friendly by the team that doesn't. City fans have nothing to fear with a host of key players waiting to re-enter the fray, but Arsenal will take this momentum and run with it. 

NEXT TIME 

That's it from Unsung Analysis this week, but I'll be covering the opening game of the Premier League season on Saturday, when Manchester Utd. take on Swansea City at Old Trafford, before writing up my Unsung Transfers of the Summer just before Deadline Day. 

And anyway, let's face it, who hasn't missed the sight of this?

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