Big-money signings cash in against 10-man Hull
£35m man Xhaka off the mark with screamer as Arsenal run riot
HULL CITY’S interim boss Mike Phelan would disagree that opposite number Arsene Wenger likes to keep his wallet in his pocket.
Quality told at the KCOM Stadium, with £36million man Alexis Sanchez scoring twice and missing a penalty and £35m substitute Granit Xhaka completing the rout. Not bad for a club run by supposed misers.
Arsenal were terrific going forward in a game with plenty of drama. Hull worked hard but were always living close to the edge once Jake Livermore was dismissed after 42 minutes for deliberate handball.
Hull gave their fans brief hope with a 79th-minute penalty scored by Robert Snodgrass that reduced the deficit to 2-1, but the visitors simply moved up through the gears again with two late goals.
Having been written off again after shipping four goals at home to Liverpool on the opening weekend of the season, the Gunners are back in familiar territory in the top four — and you would be a bold person to bet against them remaining there.
‘It was a committed performance. It can be different psychologically when you play against 10 men but we remained serious,’ said Wenger, whose side had drawn at Paris SaintGermain in the Champions League on Tuesday. ‘We had a big shock in our first game against Liverpool. I said afterwards that we faced a mental test. Overall we have responded very well.’
The only cloud was Sanchez missing Arsenal’s penalty when the score was 1-0, especially when Santi Cazorla had converted so successfully against Southampton last weekend.
‘I thought Santi was head of the penalty-takers list,’ said Wenger. ‘Ideally you want the manager to decide it [who takes the penalties] but we don’t live in an ideal world.’
Hull know that better than most. They started the season with barely enough players to field a team and a long-anticipated takeover has still not happened. Their recent record signing, £13m Ryan Mason, is modest by Arsenal standards.
Hull’s tactics were to sit deep and hope to catch Arsenal on the counterattack. But that was undone after just 17 minutes. Theo Walcott’s cross-shot was parried by Eldin Jakupovic into the path of Alex Iwobi and his well-struck shot flicked in via Sanchez’s left leg.
Arsenal could have wrapped up the points quickly but Sanchez was denied by a last-ditch tackle from Andy Robertson and Mesut Ozil blazed over after Jakupovic had saved from Iwobi.
Most wastefully, however, was after Francis Coquelin’s shot was saved by Livermore — which saw him shown a straight red card — and Sanchez’s penalty was tame enough for Jakupovic to save to his right.
Hull fans, still cheering Livermore as he unhappily left the pitch, kept the roar going as Sanchez stepped up and fluffed his lines, though Phelan believes the decision to send off his midfielder had been harsh.
‘I don’t think it was hand to ball but ball to arm,’ he said. ‘I’d question whether it was deliberate.’
And even though Hull survived the spot-kick, they were 2-0 down after 55 minutes. The impressive Walcott cut infield to play a beautiful one-two with Iwobi and the youngster’s return backheel allowed him to lift a finish over Jakupovic, with Harry Maguire just failing to head it clear when backpedalling to the line.
Wenger admitted he loves having Walcott in his line-up. ‘For the balance of the team we need players who can go behind defenders. The quality of his runs are very dangerous,’ he said. ‘Whereas Sanchez likes to come to the ball, Theo can go the other way in behind. It helps us have more options.’
Phelan was honest enough to acknowledge referee Roger East’s decisions had not altered the final result but was proud his team stuck at their task before unravelling late on. ‘Arsenal are very difficult to play against with 11 men let alone 10,’ said Phelan. ‘We took the decision and we were still in the game but, after they scored a second, it became more difficult.
‘We did say at 2-1 that we had a slight opportunity to make Arsenal think a little bit, but four minutes later we gave a goal away. It’s a lesson to be learned — if you lose concentration at this level you get hurt.’
As good as Arsenal were going forward, their Achilles heel remains in defence.
And Hull substitute Dieumerci Mbokani took full advantage of that on his debut by winning a penalty against goalkeeper Petr Cech — recalled to the side after being left on the bench against PSG in favour of David Ospina — which Snodgrass smashed home.
But it only proved a temporary reprieve for Hull. Sanchez, operating as a false nine, broke into the penalty area after sloppy Hull play, before firing in for his fourth goal in four games.
With Hull exhausted, Xhaka was allowed to advance unchallenged towards the penalty area in injury-time before rifling home a left-foot shot from 30 yards.
Even with £42m record signing Ozil not yet at his best following Euro 2016, Arsenal had too many expensive aces.