1. This was another painful reminder of Arsenal’s soft underbelly
Arsenal would have been expected to hold on to a lead after the horror show they suffered at home when they threw away a three-goal lead against Anderlecht to settle for a point. They took the lead again in this game but Swansea seemed sure that Arsenal cannot successfully shut-up shop. They kept believing and again Arsenal squandered another lead.
2. Garry Monk is among the in-form managers of the moment
Manager of the month awards usually go to the boss who enjoyed a good run for a month but they sometimes neglect a cycle for managers where sometimes everything they try seems to pay off and other times when even their most well thought-out plans just flop.
Monk, like Alan Pardew at Newcastle, is certainly enjoying a good run. After engineering a tactical approach that made Swansea the first side to keep a clean sheet against Everton, the Swans boss made decisions that changed this game in his side’s favour.
Monk made a huge call by taking off Wilfried Bony for Bafetimbi Gomis, and Gomis scored the winner. The winger he brought on, Modou Barrow, won the set-piece that changed the game.
3. Danny Welbeck still hates playing out wide
One of the reasons Welbeck left Manchester United was his lack of game-time playing through the middle. In this game he frequently worked as a left attacking midfielder with the freedom to push on and support Alexis Sanchez when the Gunners attacked. Whenever Arsenal defended though, Welbeck reluctantly pressed Angel Rangel.
4. Swansea play better with quick natural wingers in wide midfield positions
Some spectators who have watched a lot of Swansea’s games this season must have been concerned when they noted that both Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer were missing from the side. These two wide midfielders have played a key role to Swansea’s success this season.
They were replaced in the starting XI by Jefferson Montero and Marvin Emnes on the left and right wing, respectively. Montero slotted in seamlessly on the left flank as he has done in other games recently. His movements were similar to Routledge’s.
Emnes, on the other hand, is a natural striker who was ineffective in his attempts to cut inside and join Wilfried Bony up top. When Barrow, another natural winger, came on the Swans had a genuine offensive threat on the right wing too and they turned the game around.
5. It is usually ‘play on’ from Phil Dowd
Referee Phil Dowd has only awarded a single penalty this season and it seems he just does not believe in giving them at the moment. Calum Chambers clattered Wilfried Bony in Arsenal’s penalty box, but Dowd waved play on despite having a perfect view of the incident. This seems more of a trend from the referee as he has turned down even stronger penalty appeals this season.
Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling grappled Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic and John Terry when Chelsea were attacking a set-piece but United’s centre-backs escaped punishment.
Charlie Austin and Bobby Zamora’s penalty appeals fell on deaf ears when Glen Johnson made a controversial karate-kick clearance on the line in Liverpool’s 3-2 win at QPR.
Just six days before this game, Fraizer Campbell was clearly chopped down by Santiago Vergini in Sunderland’s penalty box in the opening exchanges but again Dowd waved played on. He will certainly be a favourite for defenders in future games.
