UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP H:ARSENE WENGER listed Arsenal's growing ranks of walking wounded last night, the names of the absentees tripping miserably off the tongue: Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie, Thomas Vermaelen, Abou Diaby, Nicklas Bendtner, Aaron Ramsey.
There is significant reliance already on all three of Arsenal’s summer signings, with each to start the club’s Champions League campaign this evening.
“But Sebastien Squillaci is 30 already and experienced and Laurent Koscielny has simply had to play from the start,” the manager said.
“And Marouane Chamakh? Well, he has already shown what an important player he can be for us.”
It is the Moroccan who has most caught the eye. Wenger used to grant foreign imports time to adapt to life in this country, calling on them relatively sparingly over the first few months after their arrival in the Premier League.
Robert Pires serves as the best example, a player who flourished in his second season in north London. Yet already Chamakh appears to have come ready-made for English football with his adaptation period limited to a profligate display in last month’s trouncing of Blackpool.
He eventually scored his first goal for the club that afternoon, Arsenal’s sixth, although in the context of a thrashing his passing up of a hat-trick of earlier opportunities never felt costly.
Now, only four games into his Arsenal career, the sense is growing that Wenger has lured to the Emirates a player who can add something extra to this team’s slick approach.
In the absence of the slippery Van Persie and Bendtner Chamakh has an opportunity to make himself pivotal.
At 6ft 2in he has the brawn and the spring to unsettle sides in the Premier League and in Europe, with Braga braced for an awkward evening.
“He has done well,” Wenger said.
“He is used to a physical game and is the type of player who likes contact with his opponent. He loves that side of the game, challenging in the air.
“No matter where you jump, if you’re playing in Japan or in England, if you jump high you’ll beat your opponent with your head, and he does that.
“But he’s adapted quickly because he is a really selfless team player. He works for the team and is a guy who loves being with his team-mates. They appreciate his efforts, too. Even if he misses one or two chances, his contribution is so high in other areas that it is not a problem.”
The visit of the Portuguese should not prove a culture shock for a forward who has scored five Champions League goals in 19 appearances and ruffled no less than Juventus already in his career.
The 26-year-old offers focus to Arsenal’s front line along with industry and bite. He could yet prove to be this side’s prolific missing link.
“He has improved already,” his team-mate, Bacary Sagna, said.
“When he arrived he was a bit, not scared, but he needed time to settle. That’s happened and he has found his feet.
“It’s so important for the team to have a player like him up front. He can keep the ball well and he just wants to play, give his best and work for the team. He’ll get better results with each game he plays. For the team he will be very important. He will become a great player for Arsenal.”
Guardian Service
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