Arsenal analysis: Granit Xhaka breaks the mould, and Lucas Perez may be worth the wait after EFL Cup double

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James Benge20 September 2016

Lucas Perez opened his Arsenal account with a brace as the Gunners eased into the EFL Cup fourth round after a comfortable 4-0 win at Nottingham Forest.

The 28-year-old striker, who cost £17million from Deportivo La Coruna this summer, scored from the penalty spot and then netted an excellent solo goal to add to Granit Xhaka’s first-half opener as Alex Oxlade-chamberlain sealed the win in injury time.

Standard Sport’s James Benge analyses the key talking points from the Gunners' impressive victory at the City Ground…

Xhaka breaks the mould with long-range stunner

Recent years have seen Arsene Wenger grow increasingly interested in analytics, with expected goals being discussed far more by the Arsenal manager than many of his contemporaries in the top flight.

The expected goals if you unleash a string of 30-yard strikes is rather low regardless of how fearsome your effort may be, but perhaps not if you are Xhaka. The Swiss midfielder hammered home his second long-range howitzer in four days to give the visitors a scarcely deserved lead, and what an atypical Arsenal goal it was.

Certainly there was plenty of fortune in Xhaka’s shot, which deflected off Chris Cohen on its way past Vladimir Stojkovic, but it crucially shifted the momentum of a first half that was going Forest’s way beforehand.

It may not have been the perfectly constructed goal Wenger sides have been chasing for two decades but Xhaka certainly made himself a have-a-go hero with his willingness to hit and hope.

Give Lucas time, he may just be worth it

A well-struck penalty may just have been all it took to settle Lucas in England. Because the player on the pitch after that goal was very different to the forward who had been missing for all of an hour.

The bustling, pacey and powerful run that brought Lucas his second was most impressive indeed, the Spaniard showing fighting spirit to keep driving at goal with Michael Mancienne in close proximity.

It may be that Lucas remains a peripheral presence as he settles in England but tonight certainly offered signs that he’ll be worth the wait.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is in a downward spiral

History is repeating itself with Oxlade-Chamberlain, but is his traditional early season slump going to prove terminal to his Arsenal career this time out?

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The 23-year-old came into the campaign fit and raring having impressed in pre-season and kick started the term with a fine strike against a high-quality opponent. This year it was Liverpool, last season Chelsea. But once more Wenger now finds himself with a player short on both confidence and quality.

Oxlade-Chamberlain cannot claim he has not been given opportunities – he started away to Paris St Germain – but he has not grasped them. Tonight he looked set up to be the leader of an inexperienced attack but he was its most fitful contributor, a wild corner that didn’t even land in the box summing up a woeful first half. Even a late goal couldn’t redeem a poor performance.

With just two years on his contract this seems make or break time for Oxlade-Chamberlain, but under the lights he is once more wilting.

Back Reine-Adelaide to be the next Iwobi

It was notable that Nigerian youngster Iwobi was not among the squad players called upon for the EFL Cup whereas Oxlade-Chamberlain was, and it appears that the former has now earned himself a spot in Arsenal’s plans for the Chelsea game, continuing Wenger’s fine record of blooding youngsters.

Who will be the next to join him? On the basis of tonight’s showing Reine-Adelaide looks the clear favourite. He showed plenty of invention, a willingness to run beyond the central strikers and an impudence that nearly paid off in a superb curling finish.

Having already been promoted to the first team squad it may not be long before Reine-Adelaide makes his Premier League debut.

The EFL Cup is no longer for young guns alone

Wenger’s starting line-up had 122 caps in it and nearly £60million worth of talent just in Mohamed Elneny, Xhaka and Lucas.

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Whilst there was space for youngsters such as Emiliano Martinez and Ainsley Maitland-Niles the majority of this squad were seasoned contributors to the Arsenal cause, many of them needing game time over a month into the season.

It speaks to the depth of Wenger’s squad that now only the very brightest young things get the chance to feature – perhaps Arsenal will at last be able to compete on multiple fronts when injuries inevitably bite?

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