Walcott super show averts another 'disaster' for Wenger

Three-sy does it: Julio Baptista nets Arsenal's third goal
14 April 2012
Arsenal 3 Hamburg 1

Fame came to Theo Walcott when he was suddenly thrust into the spotlight six months ago but he was fantastic for 15 minutes last night, averting what Arsene Wenger would have considered yet another disaster for his error-prone Arsenal side.

In the mind of an obsessive Arsenal manager, this must have been torturous. Another opening goal for inferior opposition, another response that amounted only to a second-half equaliser, another fine mess for players who appeared to be facing a trip to Porto possibly needing a win without the suspended Thierry Henry.

Then Wenger sent on Walcott and the direct approach that Arsenal so often need came from a 17-year-old Englishman who provided the final balls from which Emmanuel Eboue and Julio Baptista added the finishing touches to leave Arsenal in a far more comfortable position.

They will still need a draw in two weeks if CSKA Moscow win their final Group G match, but that should not be beyond them when Wenger can still call on individuals of the quality of Walcott and Robin van Persie to provide an attacking threat.

Tactically, Wenger was masterful against a Hamburg team who snatched the lead after only four minutes when Rafael van der Vaart scored with a breathtaking 22-yard shot.

Deploying Van Persie alongside Henry in attack at the start of the second half produced an equaliser within seven minutes, while the decision to send on Walcott as a replacement for Freddie Ljungberg also had the desired effect. Within eight minutes, Eboue had put Arsenal in front, with Baptista ending any hope of a Hamburg revival five minutes after that.

How Hamburg caused Arsenal so many problems will still nag at Wenger. This, after all, is a team sitting second from bottom in the Bundesliga and bottom of their Champions League group without a point.

They already had one eye on this weekend's game against Bayern Munich despite bemoaning the fact that Arsenal beat them in Hamburg with what amounted to a controversial penalty following the dismissal of their goalkeeper.

Again, this young Arsenal side seemed to lack the patience and maturity to convert more than one chance.

They had gone close, twice hitting the woodwork, but their often over-elaborate football was leaving their manager frustrated.

The goal from Van der Vaart created the kind of pressure that they have sometimes struggled to cope with this season.

It was a super effort from the Holland midfielder who denied England victory in Amsterdam last week, a flash of skill to escape the attention of Kolo Toure coming before a curling shot flew past Jens Lehmann and crashed home off the underside of the bar.

While Lehmann shouted expletives at his defence, Wenger sat motionless in his seat as if he was paralysed by a mixture of despair and disbelief, perhaps even disgust.

Fortunately for Wenger, his players were not so stunned and quickly went in determined pursuit of an equaliser.

Aleksandr Hleb went close in the 13th minute when a fine piece of dribbling ended with a shot that struck the bar, while Van Persie threatened when he sent a free-kick whistling past Stefan Wachter's right-hand post.

It was an impressive effort but a chance Henry might have taken given the quality of the free-kick he scored against Newcastle last weekend.

Henry went that much closer with a free-kick that flew inches wide shortly after the interval, but, when Hleb and Cesc Fabregas combined to send Van Persie into space, the Holland striker fully vindicated Wenger's decision to push him up alongside Henry by guiding his effort past Wachter.

Why Henry was then booked was something Wenger could not explain afterwards. Some thought it was for dissent while others suggested it was for barging into an opponent. Henry was not amused and nor was Wenger.

But far more pressing was the need for a second goal, Wenger first sent on Emmanuel Adebayor as a replacement for Van Persie before unleashing Walcott and Baptista from the bench as well.

It was Walcott who made the real impact. Given how well he has played for Arsenal and England under 21s this season, he must surely now attract the attention of Steve McClaren.

He provided the pass that invited Eboue to burst into the Hamburg box before beating Wachter from the tightest of angles. It was bad goalkeeping, undoubtedly, but still a beautifully-worked goal.

Walcott then burst clear before planting a cross on the head of the advancing Baptista, who could not fail to miss with Wachter again caught badly out of position.

Porto could still represent something of a challenge, but thanks to Walcott an Arsenal side that reached the final last season should avoid the embarrassment of a first-round exit.

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