‘Veteran’ Carlos Vela shows way for Arsenal kids

James Olley
23 Sep 2009

Arsenal 2-0 West Brom

Although promising signs emerged from a host of
Arsenal's unknown teenagers, it is two of the more reputable names who today emerge from the club's latest Carling Cup lesson with the highest marks.

For the truth is that these young Gunners were labouring badly against a severely weakened Championship side, who played with 10 men for more than 50 minutes, until Carlos Vela made his spectacular introduction.

Jack Wilshere, a veritable veteran of these occasions now aged 17, had hitherto been the stand-out performer despite playing in an unfamiliar central midfield role and his influence irritated West Brom enough to induce Jerome Thomas to push him in the face, prompting his dismissal and an angry reaction from Baggies manager Roberto Di Matteo, who said his player was reacting to an insult from the Arsenal youngster.

Arsene Wenger instructed his youngsters to mirror the 4-3-3 system employed at senior level, with Aaron Ramsey the supposed playmaker. But he was thoroughly outshone by Wilshere, who moved the ball with finesse through jinking solo runs and efficiency in short and sharp passing.

That said, Arsenal created surprisingly little until 20-year-old Vela settled the game within
15 minutes of coming on as a second-half substitute.

Perhaps we have come to expect too much from Arsenal on these occasions — with last year's 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United still in the memory — but the Mexican proved his graduation from this level is virtually complete.

A fine effort from the edge of the box forced Dean Kiely into a save only for Sanchez Watt, perhaps the brightest of the newcomers, to side-foot home the rebound and break the deadlock in the 68th minute. Vela then took advantage of a mix-up between goalkeeper and Leon Barnett tomake it 2-0 nine minutes later.

Wenger said: “When Vela came on he made a difference because he is dangerous in his control and in his movement. His class gives you something special but he needs more time for the Premier League. But, of course, he is in my plans.

“He can play as a winger, wide left, wide right, he can play central — he gives you plenty of options. I feel Wilshere did very well. He looked always lively, dangerous in a difficult part of the game. When it was very tight in the first half he looked to find openings, he is not scared. He has something which is very difficult to give to players, no matter how big the game is he takes the ball and takes people on.

“I believe in the future he will be a central player but at the moment in his education it is good that he plays wide right, wide left, central, wherever we need him.

“He still sometimes has a little lack of experience in his decision-making but there is something special there.”

Given the average age of the starting XI was just 20 — the side contained eight teenagers — there is so much time for these players to improve.

West Brom, who put Wigan to shame by bringing three times as many supporters to north London as the Latics managed in the Premier League last weekend, had several chances of their own and Arsenal were indebted to goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny on a number of occasions. “I liked his
performance,” said Wenger of the
19-year-old Pole, who even on his debut appears to have far greater potential than Arsenal's current third-choice stopper, Vito Mannone.

“He has a presence, he has a charisma, he has a calmness and you see straight away there is quality there.

“He was a great, great prospect and he broke both arms in the gym last year, he fell down and the bar fell on him.”

West Brom fought on admirably after losing Thomas, once on Arsenal's books, as he reacted following Wilshere's refusal to shake his hand following a foul.

Wilshere had exchanged words with several visiting players in the minutes prior to Thomas's dismissal and Di Matteo said: “My player went to shake the Arsenal player's hand, he refused and there was a reaction.

“I am disappointed Wilshere did not accept his hand, that of a fellow colleague, but that is part of the game. That was the turning point. I felt before Thomas got sent off, we were starting to get on top of them.”

Wenger described Thomas as “a little bit impulsive, very talented, sometimes nervy and impatient” and the same could be said of many of his own youngsters last night.

Carling Cup third-round night at Emirates Stadium has become annually synonymous with the unveiling of new — and seemingly ever younger — potential stars of tomorrow.

But the inescapable feeling today is that while the new faces were largely unimpressive, two already existing talents further enhanced their credentials to suggest they will be worthy of first team inclusion.

And given the bigger picture, isn't that more encouraging?