Marseille 1 Arsenal 2: The Arsenal machine rolls on. This was not a vintage performance and there were plenty of moments when Marseille threatened to make life uncomfortable for their opponents, but all that matters to Arsène Wenger and his players is that they departed the south of France with a sixth successive victory and a remarkable 10th on the spin away from home.
Theo Walcott’s first goal of the season followed by a second, six minutes from time, from the in-form Aaron Ramsey means that Arsenal have got off to the best possible start, picking up three valuable points ahead of back-to-back home games against Napoli and Borussia Dortmund.
Marseille will reflect on how different the outcome might have been had they showed the same clinical edge as Arsenal and whether the match would have stayed within their grasp but for Jérémy Model making a dreadful error in the second half. The left back stooped to head a Kieran Gibbs cross that bounced awkwardly in front of him when it would have been easier to put his foot through the ball. Walcott, volleying into the top corner, finished with aplomb.
Ramsey, with his sixth goal in seven matches, doubled Arsenal’s advantage before being penalised harshly for bringing down André Ayew when he clearly got the ball, in injury time. Jordan Ayew converted from the spot with almost the last kick of the game.
Wenger’s occasional appearances on the touchline in the first half hinted at the manager’s frustration. After dominating possession in the early exchanges, when Walcott had a reasonable chance to put Arsenal ahead, the visitors lost their way a little. Their passing was careless, with Walcott guilty of giving the ball away cheaply on several occasions in the opening 45 minutes and, at times, Mesut Özil and Jack Wilshere, who started on the left but often drifted infield, seemed to be competing for the same space.
Marseille are something of a work in progress on and off the pitch. Unable to compete with the financial muscle of Paris St-Germain and Monaco, the club have taken the view that snapping up the best young talent in France is the way forward. They will have a wonderful home when Stade Vélodrome is finished but for the moment the arena resembles a building site, with one side of the ground out of use and cranes dominating the skyline.
Their fans in the vertiginous stands behind both goals were making no shortage of noise, however, and could easily have had something to celebrate come the interval.
With Giannelli Imbula, the 20-year-old Frenchman, an imposing figure in the centre of midfield and Mathieu Valbuena showing some nice touches as well as delivering a couple of sublime crossfield passes, Marseille possessed the players to cause Arsenal problems. The only thing missing was a ruthless touch in front of goal.
André Ayew, the Ghana international, should have done better with a free header in the 21st minute. Dimitri Payet swung in an inviting cross from the right to pick out Ayew, who managed to get in between two Arsenal defenders and find a pocket of space on the penalty spot. His header had Wojciech Szczesny scampering across his goal but the ball drifted wide.
It was a reprieve for Arsenal and there was another six minutes before half-time. Per Mertesacker, returning to the starting line-up at the expense of Carl Jenkinson, had to be at full stretch to cut out a low centre from Payet. The first corner was turned behind but from Payet’s second delivery, André-Pierre Gignac ran beyond the near post to connect with a twisting header that flashed over the bar.
Arsenal threatened only sporadically. Özil stood up a cross that Walcott met with a header that lacked power and earlier in the game the England winger drilled a volley into the ground and into the hands of Steve Mandanda after Aaron Ramsey’s fine pass released him on the right.
The game opened up after the break as chances came and went at both ends. For Marseille, Rod Fanni should have done better with an angled volley that whistled past the post, Payet drew a low save from Szczesny and Mertesacker came close to putting through his own net with a horrible slice. Gibbs, covering superbly, was perfectly positioned to clear.
The Arsenal left back came close to putting Arsenal ahead moments earlier but his left-footed shot, after a sublime Özil backheel, was held by Mandanda. The Marseille goalkeeper produced another save to turn a Wilshere close-range volley behind, but he was powerless to prevent Walcott from opening the scoring.
Gibbs crossed and Morel’s awful header looped up in the air for Walcott to strike the ball into the top corner. When Ramsey drilled in from the edge of the area the game was up for Marseille.
(Guardian Service)
