Arsenal’s young gun comes to the fore to steal Mesut Ozil’s thunder. Tottenham’s icy finisher shows his worth to overshadow their own debutant, while the Gunners top scorer gives his owners a scare by limping off with a knee problem.
The Game Changer
All eyes were on Mesut Ozil’s performance on his debut and, while the German’s display exuded class, composure and the first of many assists, it was Aaron Ramsey who will hog the headlines. A brace of goals capped what has been a hugely impressive season so far for the young Welshman – a player who has suddenly emerged from the shadow of Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere, to promote himself as a true box-to-box midfielder, capable of controlling matches and scoring goals.
Ramsey’s smart volley and a slotted finish from Olivier Giroud’s pass took him to five goals in all competitions – matching his total from last season. Quite simply, Ramsey is a player reborn at a time when the Arsenal midfield looks set to be rejuvenated by Ozil’s promptings and uncanny eye for the killer pass.
While the pre-match effort concentrated on how to juggle the cash to possibly accomodate Ozil’s price tag, Ramsey is available for just 5.6 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL), £5.8 million in the Sky Sports game and £2.5 million in the Sun Dream Team – a game which has him ranked as the top midfielder.
Today’s returns will surely see his stock soar further, as Fantasy managers seriously consider loading up on Arsenal’s attacking assets as the creativity and opportunities for goals in the Gunners camp hits new heights. Indeed, with Giroud finding consistency up front, there’s even a case for a switch in emphasis, away from the heavy hitting midfield trio of Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Ozil with a Ramsey/Giroud pairing currently offering strong value.
A late injury scare for Giroud may just change all that, however. The Frenchman was withdrawn late on with a knee problem and we’re awaiting news on the extent of the damage.
The Underused
While Ramsey is the darling on one side of north London, Gylfi Sigurdsson was the toast of White Hart Lane. Given the opportunity to impress by Andre Villas-Boas, the Icelander seized the day, providing a stunning reminder of his goalscoring ability as Spurs eased past a disappointing Norwich.
Like Ozil, Spurs had their own glittering debutant on show. Christian Eriksen’s performance, embroidered by a debut assist, will doubtless have piqued the interest of Fantasy managers. It was Sigurdsson who provided the end product, however.
At just 6.9 in the FPL, we now find ourselves reassessing his potential. While Eriksen and Erik Lamela offer the glamour and excitement of new arrivals at the Lane, Siggurdsson’s talent as a Fantasy asset is proven from his season at Swansea. If he can cement his starting role, he could yet make a return to the reckoning and draw investment away from Tottenham’s expensive imports.
The Selection Poser
Giroud’s injury is an immediate concern for many – given that he is already the most popular transfer target amongst the forwards following today’s goal and assist haul, clearly there is an urgent need for clarity.
Subject to over 268,000 transfers in over the international fortnight, he has already acquired over 15,000 new owners on the back of this afternoon’s display but the bandwagon will surely slow on the back of his withdrawal.
Post-match, Wenger was asked whether the Frenchman would be fit for the midweek Champions League match against Marseille but gave little away:
“That’s my worry today after the game. We are very thin at the moment. [It is] a knee problem. He is the player at the moment that would be very difficult for us [to replace.]”
With Lukas Podolski and Yaya Sanogo out and Nicklas Bendtner far from match-fit, Wenger’s forward options are stretched to threadbare already. A potential absence for Giroud would be a massive blow to his Fantasy owners but could, in turn, promote Walcott as the central option if the prognosis proves pessimistic. Wenger’s next injury update is already eagerly awaited.
