With no other team in the top four winning last weekend, Arsenal made ground on their main rivals with a hard-earned 2-1 win at Goodison Park to end Everton’s six match unbeaten run and sit just two points off the summit.
Arsene Wenger’s recent comments that Cesc Fabregas is approaching full fitness were perhaps verified as the captain grabbed the Gunners second goal, but Wenger’s decision to replace Jack Wilshere with Denilson for the second half was fundamental not just in allowing the visitors to play further forward in the middle of the park, but in giving Fabregas the platform to attack.
Commenting on the half-time swap after the game, Wenger explained:
“I wanted a second holding player to win the second balls from the headers and I thought Wilshere looked a bit tired today.”
Analysing the performance of both players, though, it would seem the Brazilian offered a lot more than just that.
As the first chalkboard above shows, Wilshere made 43% of his passes in the Everton half and 31% in his own defensive third of the pitch. Denilson’s arrival after half time pushed Arsenal forward, however, with 69% of his passes made in the Everton half and just 6% in his own defensive third.
The influence in this substitution can be seen in Everton’s own half time change, where Jack Rodwell replaced Johnny Heitinga. Their passing chalkboards were the polar opposite of the above Arsenal ones, a result of Denilson’s introduction.
Whereas Heitinga foraged forward in the first forty-five, making 54% of his passes in the Gunners half, Rodwell was a lot more defensive, managing only 31% of his passes in outside of his own half, with none at all in his opponent’s final third, as Arsenal seized control of the crucial midfield area.
The following Arsenal “Average Position” map from the Goodison Park game shows how far forward Denilson (15) played compared to Wilshire (19). Interestingly, Marouanne Chamakh (29) played deeper overall than Fabregas (4), such is his willingness to drop back and graft for the cause. Arsenal have won more games and have more points on the road than any other team in the Premier League and Chamakh’s unselfish game has been pivotal to their recent performances away from the Emirates.
Although neither Wilshere or Denilson will offer any potentially decent Fantasy returns, it is their knock-on effect on the team shape and fluidity that could determine substantial hauls from others. Sunday, certainly, showed Denilson offered a better balance against David Moyes’ side as a holding midfielder than the young Englishman. One further pointer on the Denilson substitution is summed up by the number of shots Fabregas managed on Sunday. The second forty-five saw Cesc manage two shots at goal plus one blocked shot. In the first half, with Wilshere part of the Gunners engine room, Fabregas didn’t manage a single attempt on goal.
