Former Arsenal manager questions lack of leadership after disappointing defeat

The memories of the Barclays Premier League opener on Day 2, Sunday, August 9, is one Petr Cech will never want to remember.

West Ham keeper Adrian continues to express his delight following the Hammers’ astounding 2-0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last Saturday, getting their Premier League campaign off with a bang.

And Bilic was rewarded for his faith with an exceptio nal display by the youngster who helped nullify Arsenal’s star-studded engine room. “A successful season is down to how you respond to disappointments”. It is great for us that they have started so well. “Crystal Palace are a good team”.

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has joined Wolves on a season-long loan.

Arsene Wenger watches on as his team is defeated. This is a very good start for us’. In the first half of the season Arsenal scored 34 goals and conceded 23, but tightened up at the back for the remainder of the season bagging 37 goals while shipping in just 13. A collective lapse. There are many things to say about that.

The game also made Oxford the second youngest Premier League starter of all time, after Jose Baxter although as Baxter shows breaking into the first team early is no guarantee of success. But I can’t see many convincing individual performances today.

West Ham coach Slaven Bilic celebrated an unexpected three points in his first EPL match in charge.

“We were not good enough, we were not convincing and that’s basically it. And West Ham played well”.

Wenger sacrificed right back Mathieu Debuchy for Sanchez but the ploy failed to deliver, though Arsenal’s sustained pressure led to the clash of heads as Giroud and Tomkins both jumped for an aerial ball. “We have to respond quickly”, said Wenger. “Then they know it works”.

“He did a great job”. That was Matthew Briggs, who was 68 days beyond his 16th birthday when he played for Fulham at Middlesbrough in 2007. “We have to manage him not only on the pitch, but off the pitch for him to stay grounded and progress, because the boy’s got everything”.