Il Rossoneri’s Swedish Maestro
He has scored in every single game he has played in the Champions League this season. More so than that, though, he almost single handedly tore Arsenal apart on Wednesday night.
Zlatan Ibrahimović, the swede, is a tall rangy man with two skilled feet, an ability to jump and the sort of languid style that often begs the question, “how did he turn beyond that player?”
He is loved by the Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, despite being of Bosnian and Croatian heritage. He has played for some huge clubs, like Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus and Ajax. He is thought of as the most visionary of attackers in Milan. He often drops deep to collect balls and when he has looked up or breezed past a defender there is space for him to push gorgeous passes towards the likes of Robinho, Pato and onrushing midfielders like Kevin-Prince Boateng or the experienced Clarence Seedorf. He can sometimes be described as ‘difficult’.
With him in the front line on Wednesday the Milanese faithful saw their side romp to victory, putting on 4 goals and looking like they could easily have netted more.
In truth Arsenal were very, very poor. Without lanky blocker Per Mertesacker at centre-back they were forced to start Laurent Koscielny. He struggled to hold a tight line with partner Thomas Vermaelen and because wing-backs Bacary Sagna and Keiran Gibbs refused to sit back and let the Arsenal midfield three take the creative burden on they insisted on pushing forward, like in so many Premier League games this season.
This was a mistake because the Arsenal midfield of Ramsey, Arteta and Song looked both bereft of ideas and worried about probing. Top scorer Robin Van Persie was left to trawl for ball.
Milan saw this and took advantage. They played with more width, more pace and more accuracy. Dumping the ball to the flanks they were able to pull Koscielny out of position and when he was one on one with Ibrahimović and the blur of Robinho was in his eye line he moved to make that much more work for Vermaelen.
The first goal came because some space was vacated by Gibbs. The ball was dropped over the top to Boateng who moved forward into space, unchallenged by the stretch centre-backs. He chested it and hit a dipping half-volley into the farthest corner of the goal. It was an early cracker. It signaled the start of a long night for Arsenal.
The second goal was a scored late in the half when Ibrahimović, on the fringes of offside, stood where Sagna should have been. He pushed all the way to the byline untested and then lofted a small, flat cross onto the head of Robinho who was bearing down on the line. He coolly spun it away from the goalkeeper from close range.
By the time a toiling Koscielny was substituted for Johan Djourou the game was over. The third? A retreating Arsenal defender slipped and Robinho slotted the ball beyond ‘keeper Szczesny.
The fourth? A hapless Djourou blocked and clambered around Ibrahimović and from the resulting penalty the Swede punched it into the bottom left-hand corner.
Pato came on and looked clumsy and nervous, but even he fashioned chances. Had he slipped a pass to Ibrahimović rather than rifling a shot at Szczesny from the edge of the box it would have been five. Either way Arsenal had been humbled in the San Siro.
This performance was one of frightful pace and guile from the Rossoneri. With Ibra skipping and piping them on they look like they may compromise the most stubborn of defenses at least once over 90 minutes.
For Arsène Wenger, the beleaguered Arsenal manager, it is a case of giving up on yet another trophy. He spoke after the game of putting in a better performance in the second leg, but dismissed any talk of a massive upset, stating that football is not played in “Dreamworld”.
The saddest thing for Wenger will be the desperation that he displayed in this loss. He threw the dice as early as half-time, bringing on Thierry Henry for his last ever appearance. The experienced striker moved Van Persie from his lone role and a flick-on almost unleashed a goal from the Dutchman, but his blast from round the back of a lost Milan defender brought out a beautiful save from captain and ‘keeper Abiatti.
Things could have been different. Years ago Wenger was looking at the talented Ibrahimović. There is an urban myth that wenger offered him a trial, but the cocky young man, then of Malmö FF, said something to the effect of “I don’t do auditions”.
This story has probably grown arms and legs, but that is irrelevant. Wenger never got him and the player has ended up with the red and blacks of Milan. He is leading their front line and they have smashed Arsenal. With this performance of total and domineering soccer has Ibrahimović sealed Wenger’s fate?
The wily French manager is looking tired and he is looking punch-drunk. He may need to move on, despite how faithful his fans are. Laurent Blanc, manager of France, says he wants to return to club coaching when EURO 2012 is over. Perhaps a move to the national side would be best for Wenger. He would get a job he’d love, the fans would understand and all would remember him fondly.
Before all of this, though, Arsenal have to show much more backbone in the return leg at the Emirates. No doubt Robinho, Boateng and the rampant Ibrahimović cannot wait.
