AZ Alkmaar v Arsenal
UEFA Champions League, DSB Stadion
Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 19:45
Arsenal's encouraging season owes a small debt to AZ Alkmaar manager Ronald Koeman.
Arsène Wenger takes his side to the DS Stadium tonight intent on a victory that would all but assure the visitors’ passage to the Knockout Round and all but prevent the hosts doing likewise.
Early qualification for the final 32 would serve to re-affirm the feeling that Arsenal are a stronger, meaner and more ruthless unit this season. And no-one personifies that change better than Thomas Vermaelen.
The Belgian centre back was the only major addition to Wenger’s squad over the summer and has shown his quality in both the prevention and execution of goals this season.
However it was Koeman who first gave him his chance.
During his spell in charge at Ajax, the manager handed Vermaelen, then 19, his debut at Volendam on February 15, 2004. It is safe to say he has repaid that faith.
Despite setting records for early-season goal-scoring, Wenger is well aware that the defence is the difference this season. William Gallas has played a major part of course but Vermaelen’s contribution has been as big as it has been unexpected.
“If we score goals, it is because we have the ball,” said Wenger at his pre-match press conference on Monday. “To have the ball, you need to defend.”
He went on: “The defence has done well because of the talent of Thomas Vermaelen, and also because Gallas prefers to play on the right. He hates to play on the left so it was welcome for Gallas to change position a bit.
“When results are good it is easier as well but you have to give a lot of credit to Vermaelen. He did not need an adaptation period. He just played.”
“Just playing” has seen Arsenal chalk up seven straight wins since those two defeats in Manchester and a group that, on paper, seemed straightforward is proving the same in reality.
Of course AZ are Dutch champions but they are down in sixth place in the Eredivise and owner Dirk Scheringa saw his DSB bank seized by the Dutch central bank on Monday because of a reported liquidity crisis. Those problems will not affect the team financially but Wenger argues it may alter the team in other ways.
“It is very difficult to predict what kind of affect it will have on the players,” he said. “It certainly will have an influence but it can be positive and negative. However in general, for the club as a whole, it is a big blow.
“Traditionally, they were in the shadow of Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord and suddenly they have grown as a club and dominated Dutch football. Now this period could be much more difficult. In the present it may not change a lot but in the future certainly it will change [things].
“Still in a big game like this, it will not influence the players at all. A Champions League game is in your head above anything else in your life.”
Gael Clichy is back in the squad after missing the win over Birmingham at the weekend because of an ankle injury. Theo Walcott will be out for three to four weeks after damaging knee ligaments in that game. Tomas Rosicky (knee) has also not travelled while Nicklas Bendtner (groin) and Eduardo (thigh) are not yet ready to return.
Arsenal opened the DS Stadium back in August, 2006 with a 3-0 win in a pre-season friendly. However on their current ground and their previous stadium, the Alkmaarderhout, AZ have amassed an impressive record of just one defeat in 34 European matches.
A second one would give Arsenal nine points with three games left in Group H. Ten points is normally the target total and even Wenger, cautious and respectful as he is, said that “one win and we are 99 per cent there”. But at the end of his press conference on Monday, he was slightly more cautious.
“When you saw the draw, we were favourites,” he concluded. “But that does not mean you win the games. You saw that in Liege.
“Still the Champions League is about taking your chance when you get it. AZ have a little more balance than Liege. In general Dutch sides have more control of the ball.
“But you never beat a Dutch team easily in the Champions League. Away from home it is also always difficult however I am sure we can do that on Tuesday.”
