Match Focus: Can Slaven Bilic Pull Off Another Upset in England?
The number 13 lived up to its unlucky reputation as Arsenal failed to extend their run of 12 consecutive UEFA Champions League play-off victories.
Had Demba Ba converted his chances, it could have resulted in Arsene Wenger leaving Istanbul with a mild case of triskaidekaphobia but lady luck didn’t completely desert Arsenal in their goalless draw against Beşiktaş.
Ba almost got the Black Eagles off to a flyer straight from the kick-off with an audacious effort that Wojciech Szczesny just managed to tip onto the woodwork. The 29-year-old looked fit, energetic and was involved in some lovely link-up play in the first half. The powerful striker forced Szczesny into making another save in the eighth minute and narrowly missed from the centre of the box just before half time after capitalising on a rare mistake by Champions League debutant Calum Chambers. The second half didn’t fare quite as well for Ba, which explains his rather average Whoscored 6.44 rating, but that was partly down to poor service from his teammates.
Ba averaged 1.6 shots per goal for Chelsea last season and already has a hat-trick under his belt for his new club. Beşiktaş will be hoping the addition of Ba and Turkish international striker Cenk Tosun will help turn around their goalscoring woes. The Eagles only scored 53 times in the Süper Lig last season, which, along with Trabzonspor, was the joint lowest record in the top six.
The effectiveness of Ba and co. this season will be dependent on the service provided. Beşiktaş have plenty of options on the flanks with Olcay Şahan, Mustafa Pektemek, Gökhan Töre and Kerim Frei Koyunlu. Şahan is a hardworking winger who adds balance to the team with his willingness to get forward as well as track back. The Turkish international made an impressive 7 tackles against Arsenal and caught the Gunners out a few times on the break, most notably with his one-on-one with Szczesny early in the second half, which he put wide. Former Chelsea youth graduate Töre and former Fulham player Frei both possess explosive acceleration and could prove a danger – if fit. Mustafa Pektemek, meanwhile, can be used up front or on the wing, with his pace and hard working nature earning him a starting XI spot in the last three games.
Feyenoord ended up being exploited on the break by the pace of the Beşiktaş wingers in the previous round and they could pose Arsenal a threat in the second leg if the Gunners play a high defensive line.
Another player that may have caught the attention of Arsenal fans was Oğuzhan Özyakup. The former Arsenal youth player slotted in just ahead of the more defensively minded Veli Kavlak and Necip Uysal in the Eagles three-man midfield. Had it not been for Ba and Şahan’s profligacy, Özyakup could easily have had an assist or two. In fact no other player completed more key passes (5) on the night than Özyakup. The Turkish international was central to most of the Eagles’ fluid passing combinations in the first half and the architect behind most of their attacking moves.
Kavlak and Uysal did a pretty good job closing Arsenal down, forcing interceptions and giving Özyakup more time to work his magic. Kavlak was one of the Eagles most effective players on the night, the assiduous midfielder made 8 tackles - more than any other player – and retained possession well, attempting 50 passes with an 84% accuracy. His partner in crime Uysal was brought in last minute to replace the injured Atiba Hutchinson. "We played without our most important player (Atiba) Hutchinson, who is very likely to be fit for the second leg," Bilic said after the game. Hutchinson offers a more physical presence in midfield. The Canadian international is capable of winning the ball and bursting forwards, providing an additional attacking outlet.
Despite being without Atiba, Beşiktaş managed to disrupt Arsenal’s passing game. The Eagles made a total of 38 tackles and 32 interceptions compared to Arsenal’s 17 tackles and 17 interceptions. Arsenal completed an average of 525 short passes per-game last season, higher than any other Premier League team, but only managed 393 against Beşiktaş, while the Eagles completed 415. It would, however, be unfair to overplay Arsenal’s uncharacteristically poor passing, the Gunners were without their German contingent and the bobbly pitch certainly didn’t help.
The main area of concern for Beşiktaş was struggling to contain Alexis Sanchez’s jilting runs in the first half and occasional defensive lapses. Man of the match Ersan Gülüm and his centre-back partner Pedro Franco dealt pretty comfortably with Oliver Giroud for much of the game. Gülüm managed to win 83% of his aerial duals and frustrated the French international. Arsenal’s chances were few and far between. The Gunners did not force keeper Tolga Zengin into a save until Jack Wilshere’s effort on 39 minutes. Oxlade-Chamberlain came closest to opening the scoring in added time but Zengin pulled off a crucial save.
The manner in which Beşiktaş played in the first-leg has spurred the fans, players and Bilic himself to believe they may have a chance in the return-leg. “We’re going to London not to go shopping in Harrods but to try to fulfill, some would say, our dream. I’d say our task. Our plan,” Bilic said after the game.
The alarm bells won’t be ringing just yet in North London, Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League group stages 16 times in a row and have never lost against Turkish opposition in regulation time. The Gunners are bound to improve their passing game on a smoother playing surface at home and put the Beşiktaş defence under far more pressure.
Wenger will also be able to call on World Cup winners Per Mertesacker, Mesut Özil and Lukas Podolski. However, playing three competitive games inside a week with a team already lacking match fitness could take its toll on Wednesday. The Gunners will also be without the injured Arteta and arguably their most in-form player Aaron Ramsey, who is suspended.
Arsenal may have a great record against Turkish opposition but Bilic has shown that he is capable of surprises, something Steve McClaren knows all too well. Bilic led Croatia to a 3-2 win at Wembley in 2007 with a victory that cost England a place at Euro 2008 and McClaren his job. The Beşiktaş boss will be hoping for another major shock on English soil next week.
What will be the outcome of the second leg between Arsenal and Besiktas? Let us know in the comments below
