Wilshere’s return helps Wenger get one over Fergie Jr
JACK was finally back and so was another name from Arsene Wenger’s past. Thankfully for the Arsenal boss, the prodigal son Wilshere was exceptional and an opposition manager called Ferguson was unable to recreate his father’s habit of causing trouble.
That is not to say Darren Ferguson and Doncaster struggled, because irrespective of the waves of Arsenal’s chances, the League One side kept this close.
But irrespective of their token vulnerabilities, Arsenal were decent value for their place in the fourth round, sent on their way by a Theo Walcott goal after 25 minutes and led by Wilshere.
This was his first Arsenal start in 493 days and his first 90 minutes for the club for three years, with Wenger having brought him in as one of 11 changes to the side used against Chelsea. But it was a strong B team and Wilshere was the stand- out with his shaved head in midfield. How wonderful it would be if he could keep his fitness and his place in the side.
‘I wanted to leave him on to give him 90 minutes,’ said Wenger, whose side will host Norwich in the next round. ‘I think it was an ideal game for him. He gained confidence and fitness but you have to put this game into perspective.
‘It wasn’t the intensity of the Premier League but it is important for him. Everyone is looking at him and expects him back to his best and I wish that as well.’
The clash with Ferguson Jnr was a fascinating subplot, not least because Sir Alex was in the crowd at the invitation of Wenger, with the pair now enjoying a friendly relationship after the heat of their earlier rivalry.
Despite that scenario, the attendance of 44,064 was Arsenal’s lowest since moving here 11 years ago. Those who stayed away missed a fun game.
The first half was frantic, an entertaining mess of chances. Inside 15 seconds, Doncaster’s Rodney Kongolo drew a save from David Ospina and within the next nine minutes came three sharp counterpunches from Arsenal, with Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez all going close. Of the three, Giroud’s bicycle kick against the bar was an inch or two away from being a very special goal indeed. The breakthrough came on 25 minutes, with Sanchez, brilliant and motivated, at its root with a floated pass from the centre of the pitch over the heads of Mason and Tommy Rowe. With an excellent touch and finish, Walcott scored his first competitive goal since April. Wilshere and Giroud had further chances, but somehow nothing else made it through. The most telling first-half statistic? Arsenal had 16 shots to Doncaster’s two. The most glaring observation? Wilshere is still a wonderfully dynamic figure in Arsenal’s midfield, a talent with his feet but also the kind of personality they need. Quite aside from his mentoring throughout the match of 17-year-old Reiss Nelson, Wilshere was the screaming driving force of the side in their attacks and in retreat.
Take the start of the second half as an example of Wilshere’s dual purpose. In the space of a minute he lunged into a sliding tackle to wreck a Doncaster free-kick routine, and then started a brilliant attack that should have led to Walcott’s second. The forward fluffed the one on one.
Punished? It could have been. Rowe miskicked a half-volley when an opening appeared 10 minutes into the second half and Ospina was almost caught out in trying to dribble around Alfie May.
It also took a pair of excellent retreating runs and challenges from Ainsley Maitland-Niles to prevent breakaways, while Ospina needed to make an excellent save to stop a Matty Blair header. Sometimes fallibility just seems to be part of the Arsenal DNA. But so is Wilshere.
With any luck he can stick around.