New-look Arsenal just the perfect tonic for manager

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger [Photo: Courtesy]

Just days after Arsenal were lurching towards another crisis, Arsene Wenger can suddenly look to a brighter future, thanks to a revitalised attack spearheaded by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

An error-strewn 3-1 defeat at struggling Swansea last Tuesday was the latest low-point of a troubled season for Arsenal.

Coming just days after Alexis Sanchez finally got his wish to leave Arsenal in a blockbuster move to Manchester United, Wenger was once again under fire from angry fans frustrated by the club’s failure to win the Premier League since 2004.

But a week is a long time in the frenzied world of English football and by the final whistle at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, the Arsenal manager was all smiles as he reflected on the speed at which perceptions can change.

It was little wonder Wenger was in such an upbeat mood as he had just watched Gabon striker Aubameyang and Armenia midfielder Mkhitaryan produce superb first appearances at their new club’s stadium in a 5-1 demolition of Everton.

Aubameyang’s pace and movement tormented the Everton defence as he netted with a composed first-half finish, while Mkhitaryan’s range of passing provided three assists as he linked up with fellow playmaker Mesut Ozil to devastating effect.

A blur of one-touch passing, with Ozil, Mkhitaryan, and Alex Iwobi switching positions behind Aubameyang, Arsenal’s effervescent performance was by far their most encouraging of a season that sees them engaged in a draining battle to qualify for the Champions League.

“When you have new players it gives a little positive swing, and it wakes everybody up as well, because there’s suddenly competition so they have to live with that as well,” said Wenger, who now faces the conundrum of how to use previous record signing Alexandre Lacazette.