Analysis: Jordan Ayew outshines Aubameyang & Zaha
Analysis: Jordan Ayew outshines Aubameyang & Zaha
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Jordan Ayew was the hero and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the villain as Crystal Palace and Arsenal shared the spoils in the pick of the Premier League games at Selhurst Park this weekend.
Coming into this game, much of the talk revolved around Wilfried Zaha facing the Gunners, the club who tried to buy him in the off-season, and the winger they signed instead, in Nicolas Pepe.
Both players were expected to showcase their significant dribbling ability, whilst two other African stars, Aubameyang and Jordan also started in attacking positions.
For Palace, Ayew led the line, but had a largely defensive brief – to drop onto Arsenal’s deep-lying central midfielders when Mikel Arteta’s men were building up. That would allow the central midfield trio to stay compact and limit the space between the backline and midfield units.
Arsenal used their usual shape in Premier League action so far under Arteta – a 4-2-3-1 structure with Mesut Ozil occupying the right half-space and Aubameyang the left half-space, giving the Gunners significant threat between the lines.
On the same flank were Pepe and Zaha, the latter often so deep that he often found himself doubling up on his Ivory Coast teammate.
After an opening 10 minutes in which Arsenal had 80 percent of the ball, Aubameyang gave them the lead.
His start to the game had been very bright with a fine layoff and then run up the line to win a corner in the opening minute and, later, a clever backheel to continue his burgeoning understand with Sead Kolasinac.
When the goal arrived, it was lovely team effort.
Jordan Ayew was the hero and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the villain as Crystal Palace and Arsenal shared the spoils in the pick of the Premier League games at Selhurst Park this weekend.
Coming into this game, much of the talk revolved around Wilfried Zaha facing the Gunners, the club who tried to buy him in the off-season, and the winger they signed instead, in Nicolas Pepe.
Both players were expected to showcase their significant dribbling ability, whilst two other African stars, Aubameyang and Jordan also started in attacking positions.
For Palace, Ayew led the line, but had a largely defensive brief – to drop onto Arsenal’s deep-lying central midfielders when Mikel Arteta’s men were building up. That would allow the central midfield trio to stay compact and limit the space between the backline and midfield units.
Arsenal used their usual shape in Premier League action so far under Arteta – a 4-2-3-1 structure with Mesut Ozil occupying the right half-space and Aubameyang the left half-space, giving the Gunners significant threat between the lines.
On the same flank were Pepe and Zaha, the latter often so deep that he often found himself doubling up on his Ivory Coast teammate.
After an opening 10 minutes in which Arsenal had 80 percent of the ball, Aubameyang gave them the lead.
His start to the game had been very bright with a fine layoff and then run up the line to win a corner in the opening minute and, later, a clever backheel to continue his burgeoning understand with Sead Kolasinac.
When the goal arrived, it was lovely team effort.
Nwabali -- Aina, Bassey, TroostEkong, Sanusi --- Chukwueze, Aribo, Ndidi, Iwobi --- Osimhem, Sadiq Umar